Urgent warning for raw milk due to E. coli contamination

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is warning consumers to immediately throw away raw, unpasteurized milk sold under the Meadow View Jerseys brand due to E. coli contamination.

The warning on August 14 concerns milk purchased between August 5 and 12 and with a sales date of August 19.

The affected milk was sold in plastic gallon, quart and pint containers, and half-gallon plastic and glass jugs.

According to the state Agriculture Department, routine testing for pathogens showed the milk was contaminated with E. coli.

“Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses,” the department said in the alert.

Children under age 5, adults over age 65, and people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill. E. coli infections can lead to a life-threatening form of kidney failure.

The contaminated milk was sold at the following locations:

Berks County

• Weaver Orchard, 40 Fruit Lane, Morgantown, PA 19543

Dauphin County

• Soil & Soul Farm, 2405 Colebrook Road, Middletown, PA 17057

Lancaster County

• Meadow View Jerseys Retail Farm Store, 172 South Farmersville Road, Leola, PA 17540
• Bird in Hand Farm Supply, 2805 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand, PA 17505
• Ebenezer Groceries, 465 North Reading Road, Ephrata, PA 17522
• Everest Indian Supermarket, 1621 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603
• Forry’s Country Store, 820 Ivy Drive Lancaster, PA 17601
• Hilltop Acres, 347 Rife Run Road, Manheim, PA 17545
• Meck’s Produce, 1955 Beaver Valley Pike, Strasbourg, PA 17579
• Sensenig Poultry, 843 Furnace Hill Road, Lititz, PA 17543
• The Country Store 3140, Mount Joy Road, Mount Joy PA 17552
• Union Mill Acres, 7557 Elizabethtown, Road Elizabethtown, PA 17022
• Willow Creek Grocery, 30 Willow Street, Reinholds, PA 17569

Lebanon Province

• Country View Grocer, 1941 Horseshoe Pike, Annville, PA 17003

About E. coli infections
Anyone who has consumed the affected raw milk and developed symptoms of an E. coli infection should seek immediate medical attention and tell his or her doctor about the possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are needed to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other diseases.

The symptoms of E. coli infections vary from person to person, but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others may develop serious or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening complication of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, minor unexplained bruising or bleeding, and paleness.

Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injury or death. This condition can occur in people of any age, but is most common in children under age 5 due to their immature immune systems, in older adults due to a deteriorating immune system, and in people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients.

People who experience HUS symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. People with HUS are likely to be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and persistent problems, such as high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurological problems.

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