According to Gena Terlizzi from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, nine people are now ill in the E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak. Consumption of raw dairy products has been identified as a possible risk factor in some of these cases. The ill persons live in Boone, Cooper, Howard, Camden, and Jackson counties.
E. coli 0157:H7 can cause serious illness, including hemolytic uremic syndrome which can lead to kidney failure and death. This type is the most commonly identified Shiga toxin-producing variety of E. coli.
Shiga toxins are released from the bacteria that travel through the body to the kidneys and central nervous system. These toxins can pass through cell barriers, then stops cells from functioning.
Symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 infection include severe stomach cramps, often bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and a mild fever. If you or anyone you know has been ill with these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider and be tested for infection.
The Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) urge people to consider the risk of consuming raw milk products. Milk contamination can occur from cow feces, infection of the cow’s udder, cow diseases, bacteria on the cow’s skin, the environment, cross-contamination from rodents, insects, and soiled clothing.
Infants, young children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, the chronically ill, and pregnant women are most at risk from serious complications associated with raw milk illnesses.
