At least five children in the Twin Cities metro area are part of a Salmonella outbreak linked to raw milk, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. One child was hospitalized.
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized to kill pathogens. Previous outbreaks have been linked to milk or dairy products contaminated with Listeria, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and E. coli. In fact, one of the children in this outbreak was sickened with both Salmonella and E. coli.
Raw Milk Salmonella Outbreak
This raw milk Salmonella outbreak includes children ranging in age from 3 months to 10 years old. They developed symptoms of a Salmonella infection, which include nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that can be blood, in late June and early July. Usually, these symptoms appear within six to 72 hours of exposure.
Lab tests show that the genetic “fingerprints” of the Salmonella strain isolated from all five children closely resemble each other. This means they were exposed to the same source of contaminated food or beverages. The families of two of the children told health officials that they drank raw milk before they became ill.
Children are Disproportionately Affected by Raw Milk Outbreaks
Children are disproportionately affected by raw milk outbreaks.
- A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 79 percent of raw milk outbreaks that occurred between 1998 and 2009 involved at least one person under 20.
- About half of all raw milk outbreak patients from 2013 to 2018 were 19 and under.
- A study by the Minnesota Department of Health found that children under 5 account for 76 percent of raw milk illnesses that are not part of an outbreak.
Salmonella Lawyers with Experience
Please contact us if you or your family member developed a Salmonella infection and would like a free consultation with an experienced Salmonella lawyer. The Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team has represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.