NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee health officials have confirmed that a strain of E. coli that sickened nine children has been matched to animal waste collected at a dairy farm that sells raw milk.
The Tennessee Department of Health said Thursday that the illnesses highlight the risks of drinking unpasteurized milk, especially for children and the elderly.
Health officials inspected McBee Dairy Farm and did laboratory analysis and interviews with close to 90 households that purchased milk from the farm near Knoxville.
Five of the nine sickened children required hospitalization and three developed a severe kidney problem.
The farm was shut down for a week during the inspections, but has since resumed operating.
One of the farm's owners Marcie McBee told The Associated Press that during the shutdown state health officials informed the farm's customers about the risks of drinking raw milk.