Hartmann Dairy farm takes issue with the state’s recent claims that E. coli illnesses that have been reported are linked to the farm. A June 7th statement released on behalf of Michael Hartmann states that “not a single test of raw milk was found to contain any strain of E. coli.” He also claimed that the state’s media campaign was being conducted in a negligent manner with complete disregard for the defamatory and damaging content.
According to the state Health and Agriculture departments, those who have become ill with E. coli so far have likely become sick due to raw milk or raw milk products that were bought at the dairy farm. A technique called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or PFGE was used to produce DNA fingerprints of the isolated bacteria in this recent cluster of E. coli cases. According to state officials, this image provides evidence that the source of the particular strain of E. coli that has made at least four individuals sick did indeed come from the Hartmann farm.
Interestingly, a fifth case of E. coli has occurred where there seems to be no link to Hartmann Dairy, as the person did not eat or drink and raw milk or raw milk dairy products produced by the Hartmann farm. The state continues to investigate this case.
According to an email to Food Safety News, Doug Schultz who is a spokesman for the Health Department stated that “We do not know the exposure, but there are some possible connections to the Hartmann farm that are still being investigated.” If you are in need of Buffalo personal injury attorneys, contact Brown Chiari.
A toddler was one of the five individuals who became ill due to E. coli, and was hospitalized with deadly complications. On June 2, the toddler was released from the hospital. State officials believe that there is a common source of this new strain of E. coli, which has never been seen in Minnesota before. The reason for this belief is the fact that several individuals were infected with the strain, and all happened in a narrow time frame.
While Hartmann Dairy farms continues to take issue with the state’s claims, it appears that the exact strain of E. coli O157:H7 detected in those who became ill is the same strain detected in various locations on the farm, as well as numerous animals.
E. coli produces symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting in most individuals. Young children, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system are at an increased risk of developing serious and even life-threatening complications.
If you suspect E. coli food poisoning due to foods that you have purchased in a store or eaten at a restaurant, contact a reputable New York food poisoning attorney to determine if you may be eligible for compensation.