The number of confirmed cases of campylobacter infection has increased to 12 -- eight in Pennsylvania residents and four in Maryland residents.

Edwin Shank, the owner of Shankstead EcoFarm, trading as The Family Cow in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, voluntarily halted the sale of milk today but insisted that raw milk samples that the farm sent last week to QC Labs has tested negative for pathogens.

In an e-mailed letter to customers, Shank wrote:

“In spite of some over-eager reporting, there have been NO positive campylobacter tests from unopened container of our raw milk either by the PDA lab or from QC Labs, the certified lab that we use. There are 4 samples, between us and the PDA which are being tested presently. We expect them later today.

“When your emails started pouring in, one thing became immediate obvious. There is an unusually powerful stomach and lower gastrointestinal illness with acute 7-10 day diarrhea going through our communities. Some say it’s nationwide.

“So, if we were looking for an easy way out, and looking to shift the blame, it looks like we could have our answer. It’s not us! It’s not our milk! It’s a virus. It’s the flu. It is nationwide so don’t blame us!”

Testing of the product is still underway at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which will update the situation daily, according to a spokeswoman.

Epidemiology and DNA fingerprinting are much better tools for solving outbreaks of foodborne illness than simple testing.

 On-going outbreaks and recalls in Washington State, the same E. coli O157:H7 scattered throughout a California dairy that sickened five children, and now a man who drank raw milk produced at a Western Massachusetts dairy farm is suspected of being infected with brucellosis, raising concerns about the emergence of a germ that has not been seen in New England livestock in at least two decades.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease passed primarily between animals, but it can be acquired by humans through the consumption of raw milk.

Officials from the state Department of Public Health said they are investigating Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls as the possible source of the infection, because the infected man purchased raw milk there. The dairy sells raw milk only at the facility, not in retail stores, and officials urged anyone who bought raw milk there to discard it.

The owners of Twin Rivers Farm could not be reached for comment.

Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state’s top disease tracker, said the man has believed to have consumed the milk in late December. But because the illness often starts with flu-like symptoms, it was difficult to pinpoint at first, adding, “It’s an astute physician that worked it out.”

A table of raw-milk related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/rawmilk.

In Nov. 2011, raw milk produced by Cozy Vale Creamery in Tenino, Washington, sickened at least three children and environmental swabs found E. coli O157 at the dairy.

Today, the owner and armchair epidemiologist says the publicity and lawsuit for making people barf is ruining his business and it’s "hanging on by it's fingernails."

Duh.

In a statement posted on the Cozy Valley (or Vale, they seem to be used interchangeably) Dairy website, the owner says the lawsuit, bad press and community gossip have "nearly ruined" the business.

"Cows still giving lots of good milk...do I use it as fertilizer and hope that business will pick up, or should I send the girls to the slaughter house," the statement reads.

“I'd like to let you know that recent publicity and gossip foisted upon Cozy Vale has nearly ruined us. Cozy Vale is hanging on by it's fingernails. If you'd like to see us continue our small farming enterprise, please let us know. Most of you know how important local products are to our local economy. I mean it's tough enough already being a Raw Milk Dairy Producer and add to it a lawsuit, bad press, and community gossip. My God!

“I've learned that no good comes from talking to the press. I've learned that no good comes from not talking to the press. I've learned that if someone sues you, you become guilty instantly...and you know what? They know that. I've learned that facts can be presented in a way that can be damaging or helpful and the choice is always for damaging, its just more delicious that way! I've learned that gossip in a small community always divides it and destroys....um...I really thought better of my small community.

“There never was any ecoli found in our milk product. They did not find any ecoli in any of the milk samples taken. And the WSDA sampled over 36 seperate containers of milk (that I counted anyway). They tested the milk that the sick person drank from, no ecoli found. When my facility was swabbed down, they did not find ecoli anywhere that the milk would be. They tried really hard to find it too...even went so far as to stick a swab up the ass of my cows! (Well not really, but thats what it felt like). They did stick the swabs in old poop, steaming hot fresh poop, cows tails and udders. I was horrified!

In 3 sample swabs, one in the milking room floor, the sponge mop head, and processing room floor ecoli was found. It looks as if the mop had spread it around. I am told that the strain of ecoli found on my dairy room floor was a common type...I do not understand all of that, and am still looking into that.

Luckily, floor cleaning was an easy fix...it was fixed the very next day with a simple bleach solution.”

Would you buy raw milk or any food from this local producer?

At least three people are sick with shiga-toxin producing E. coli in Washington state, and whole and skim raw milk and cream from Cozy Vale Creamery in Tenino with sell-by dates of Dec. 6 or earlier is being recalled.

The recall was initiated after Washington State Department of Agriculture environmental swabbing at the facility discovered that locations in the milking parlor and processing areas were contaminated with toxin-producing E. coli.