Screen Shot 2012-04-13 at 2.10.39 PM.pngThe Oregon Public Health Division, Department of Agriculture and several local Oregon health departments are investigating an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 – E. coli infections that have left three Portland-area children hospitalized, two with kidney failure (hemolytic uremic syndrome – HUS) – all of whom drank raw milk from the same small farm.

Three children with laboratory-confirmed infections have been hospitalized. A fourth child has lab-confirmed E. coli but has not been hospitalized. All of the children consumed raw unpasteurized milk obtained from Foundation Farm in Clackamas County. The farm has voluntarily ceased its milk distribution.

Milk from Foundation Farm and raw cow’s milk in general is not allowed to be sold in retail stores in Oregon. The dairy only distributed to 48 households that were part of a herd-share, in which people contract to take ownership of a portion of a herd or individual animals.