MDH investigating outbreak linked to raw milk from Morrison County farm
File photo milk being poured from a glass bottle. (Photo illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is investigating an outbreak of illnesses linked to raw milk from a farm in Morrison County.
Health officials linked eight cases of cryptosporidiosis and one case of E. coli to raw milk from Healthy Harvest Farm and Kitchen in Hillman, Minnesota, according to an announcement on Friday.
The people who became ill in early August reported buying or consuming raw milk from the farm prior to the onset of their illness. MDH said four children under 10 years old were sick, and one person was hospitalized.
Officials warned that the unpasteurized milk may be labeled A2 milk, and people should dispose of it and not consume it.
Unpasteurized milk can carry harmful germs like Campylobacter, E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and Salmonella. When milk isn’t heated high enough to kill germs from fecal contamination, people can get sick.
"Consuming any unpasteurized milk, no matter how well the animals are cared for and how clean the operation is, puts people at risk for getting sick," said Carrie Klumb, senior epidemiologist in the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at MDH.
This is the second outbreak linked to raw milk the MDH has investigated this summer. In July, five children were sickened with salmonella after consuming raw milk. The source of that outbreak has not yet been determined.
MDH is working to identify everyone who may have purchased Healthy Harvest Farm and Kitchen in an attempt to prevent further illnesses.