Another case of E. coli has been confirmed in Boone County, bringing the county’s cases to 4.
The Missouri State Public Health Lab has confirmed what they call the 0157:H7 strain in a resident. This fourth case is a child, under the age of 18. City officials said the case did require hospitalization, but the child is no longer in the hospital.
Boone County’s four cases range in age from 2-31. Two of the patients are children and two cases required hospitalization.
Boone County Health Department official said all four cases people consumed unpasteurized milk from the same Howard County farm.
The Health Department advises residents on the dangers of consuming unpasteurized dairy products. They cited a recent CDC report that found the rate of outbreaks caused by those products was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk.
The newest confirmed case brought the total in the state to 13 cases. Health officials said 6 of those cases have been linked to the farm in Howard County.
In addition to Boone County, other E. coli cases were confirmed in Camden, Clark, Cooper, Howard and Jackson counties.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)