A Wyoming raw milk outbreak has sickened at least four children and one adult, according to news reports and the Wyoming Department of Health. The patients are sick with either E. coli or Campylobacter infections. Two children have been hospitalized. The raw milk was purchased through the Slow Food in the Tetons online market on either September 14 or September 21, 2023.
Public health officials have traced the illnesses to the consumption of raw milk or raw milk products. The state did not identify the seller at this time. The patients live in Teton and Lincoln counties.
Slow Food in the Tetons executive Director Scott Steen told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that the nonprofit organization stopped product sales after they were told about these illnesses. A press release from that organization states, “The health and safety of Slow Food customers and the community is a top priority. Slow Food in the Tetons took rapid action to comply with requests from Teton County Environmental Health and Wyoming Public Health Division.”
Both Campylobacter and E. coli have been the causes of raw milk outbreaks in the past. In fact, there is a Campylobacter outbreak associated with raw milk that is ongoing now in Utah. And an E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk in April 2023 sickened at least two infants in Tennessee.
Symptoms of a Campylobacter infection usually start two to six days after consuming food that is contaminated with that pathogen. Symptoms include diarrhea that is often bloody, fever, and abdominal cramps. A serious complication of this infection, Guillain-Barré syndrome, can cause paralysis.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually start a few days, up to a week, after eating contaminated food. People usually suffer from severe and painful abdominal cramps, along with bloody diarrhea. A serious complication of a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection is hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), that is a type of kidney failure. Children under the age of five are more likely to develop this complication. Symptoms of HUS include little or no urine output, easy bruising, bleeding from the nose and mouth, lethargy, and pale skin.
If you or a family member have consumed raw milk or products made from raw milk, such as cheese, and you live in those counties, see your doctor. You may be part of this Wyoming raw milk outbreak.
If you or a family member have been sickened with a food poisoning infection after drinking raw milk or eating raw milk products, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
