Consumption of contaminated raw milk has caused a Wisconsin Campylobacter outbreak, with public officials confirming 13 related illnesses in the southeastern area of the state.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is investigating the source of the unpasteurized milk. It is illegal to sell raw milk in Wisconsin, but people have gotten around the law in the past by forming ownership co-ops, in which shares of ownership are sold in individual cows.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys is tracking the outbreak and people who have become sick and have concerns about protecting their legal rights can call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). If you or a loved one are sick and believe you may have contracted the outbreak strain of this disease, you should immediately see a physician.

The outbreak started August 14 and the onsets of illness in the confirmed cases lasted six days. With Campylobacter jejuni, people can contract the disease from an infected person and the number of confirmed cases is expected to climb because other people are ill in households where someone has a confirmed case. Tests are pending.

The outbreak has come with a warning from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for people to discard any raw, unpasteurized milk they have in their refrigerators. Campylobacter is one of the most common of foodborne illnesses, but it can cause serious illness, even death. Those at highest risk are young children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems.

One of the complications of Campylobacter is Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, a disease that can result in muscle weakness and paralysis. Pritzker Olson has represented Guillain-Barre' patients and others who have become seriously ill from Campylobacter. Our law firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning and we have collected tens of millions for victims.

To receive a free case consultation from a Campylobacter lawyer at our firm, follow our link to a free case consultation form and submit the form online.

Labels: Campylobacter, campylobacter lawsuit, outbreak, wisconsin raw milk

Raw milk from Fisher’s Dairy in Portersville, Pennsylvania, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. In 2006, Fisher's Dairy gave up its raw milk permit, but state inspectors found that the dairy had begun selling raw milk again without a permit.

“During an investigation of the dairy, inspectors purchased raw milk which tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes," said Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. "If consumers have raw milk from this farm, they should discard it immediately."

No illnesses have been reported as a result of the potential Listeria contamination, but if people who consumed the raw milk become ill, they should consult their physicians.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has detained all milk products at the farm. Samples were taken from the farm on March 6, and tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes on March 10.

Symptoms of a Listeria infection (listeriosis) are fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions can occur.

Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, but infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. (Read about Listeria/listeriosis miscarriage.)

Symptoms of listeriosis can appear in four days to two months. To date, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has not received any reports of illness related to the Fisher's Dairy Listeria risk.

Posted March 2008.

Labels: Listeria, Listeria lawyer, raw milk

Colorado health officials have halted distribution of unpasteurized milk from a cow-share dairy after 11 people were sickened with Campylobacter.

The Associated Press reported this week that Kinikin Corner Dairy LLC in Montrose, Colorado, was named by eight victims of the outbreak as the supplier of raw milk that made them sick. The state's order was for Kinikin to stop raw milk distribution "until further notice.''

The small dairy has approximately 200 cow-share customers who like the taste of raw milk and who may believe it to be more wholesome that pasteurized milk.

But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, PA., and other experts warn against consumption of raw milk.

The CDC has identified it as an important vehicle in the transmission of Campylobacter, a foodborne pathogen that in rare cases can lead to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a serious illness that can lead to paralysis and death.

For at least the past 20 years, the CDC has flagged raw milk as a carrier of all sorts of pathogens, including Salmonella. And as recently as January 2009, the agency created a special web broadcast, or podcast, about the dangers of raw milk.

Contact our law firm for a free Campylobacter case review. PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is involved in virtually every major outbreak of foodborne illness and has obtained millions for food poisoning victims. To reach a Campylobacter attorney by phone, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free.).

Labels: campylobacter attorney, raw milk campylobacter