Illness may be linked to Payson dairy farm
15 people have tested positive to disease caused by Campylobacter
So far 15 people have tested positive for campylobacteriosis, an infectious disease caused by ingesting bacteria. Officials also say several others have reported symptoms similar to those caused by the bacteria.
The disease is not unusual and is rarely life-threatening, authorities say, but the recent outbreak is much larger than normal. "We basically have seen a fourfold increase" in the number of cases, said Lance Madigan, Utah County Health Department spokesman.
The disease usually causes diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within one to 10 days after exposure. Some experience nausea or vomiting, as well.
Doctors are required to report cases to the health department, but the department rarely sees more than three cases per month in the county, Madigan said.
When the department's epidemiologist, Lisa Guerra, heard about three Campylobacter diagnoses in one day, she said she immediately began investigating. Guerra interviewed the patients, who all live in southern Utah County.
"The common element reported by individuals in our investigation is the consumption of raw or unpasteurized cow and/or goat milk from Woolsey's Dairy in Payson," Guerra said.
Nine of the cases were traced back to raw milk purchased from Woolsey's Dairy. Only one person has been hospitalized, and several of the cases occurred within a few families that had several sick members.
Inspectors from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food visited the dairy farm Wednesday and collected samples to be tested for the bacteria.
"We expect to get the results back by Sunday," said Larry Lewis, public information officer for the department.
Unpasteurized milk products or contaminated water are often to blame in large outbreaks of Campylobacter infections, according to health department officials, and either the animal or the milk-processing equipment can act as a carrier of the bacteria.
"There are some who advocate the use of unpasteurized milk and other products," said Dr. Joseph Miner, health department director, in a statement released Wednesday. "However, consuming unpasteurized products greatly increases the risk of exposure to food-borne infections, including Campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and toxic E. coli."
The department of agriculture has asked the owner of Woolsey's Dairy, 2232 W. SR 198, Payson, to stop selling his unpasteurized products voluntarily until the test results return.
Owner Lars Woolsey said he's leaving the decision to buy up to his customers.
Comments
- Dining out: Ruth's Diner 5:04 p.m.
- Tactfully bring up plastic surgery 5:04 p.m.
- Megan Joy looks forward to Utah 5:04 p.m.
- Malden's craft made good movies 5:04 p.m.
- Movie listings 5:04 p.m.
- Box office 5:04 p.m.
- Weekend calendar 5:04 p.m.
- Israeli sculptor in Lehi 5:04 p.m.
- '12,' 'Grey' among DVD releases 5:04 p.m.
- Incubus looks forward to Utah 5:04 p.m.
- Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
- Utah's top 10: Wealth of recreation
- MWC, WAC rushed into BCS
- Restaurant burns in 3-alarm fire
- O'Connor unhappy Fes not with team
- Keeping golf light on the wallet
- River flow marks birth of sanctuary
- Teen injured in fall from waterfall
- Fatigued Jazz no match for Pacers
- Murder charge filed in shooting
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
138 - Letters: Palin mistreated
136 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
134 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
110 - 'Tea party' protesters unhappy
107 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Stadium of Fire lights up the 4th
79 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
72 - Millsap not franchise player
70 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The night was balmy though buggy at SPOC, the Stansbury Park Observatory...
@Chadders....Thomas is a bust. For a 4th pick, he has proven nothing. Keep...
Good story, Dick. But Lou Holtz put the umpire in a headlock in 1992, not...
Hey I want the truth. The media never seems to have any of it. Just more rumors.
Thomas is a Paul Milsap clone. So basically we give up boozer for Milsap and...
Anonymous | 4:39 p.m. How do you objectively support your statement that...
I did the Math. You take Boozer's salary and than you add Hinrich and...
I have had the opposite experiance - I belive home is where you make it. We...
No, you are wrong. Re read the post you are commenting about, with emphasis...
I think she'll make a wonderful judge. She's smart, compassionate, and she...
FAIR has NEVER claimed they are divining CHURCH DOCTRINE. they are simply...


You can be the first to comment on this story.