State is seeking cause of bad milk
Dairy rated OK after fall inspection
A series of routine state inspections this fall found no health violations at a central Massachusetts dairy farm linked this week to a bacterial illness that killed two elderly men and made two other people ill, according to documents obtained by the Globe.
But those reviews did not look specifically for evidence of listeria, the bacterium that sickened the three men and one woman. Instead, following guidelines established by federal health regulators, the laboratory at the state Department of Public Health tested milk from Whittier Farms for its overall bacteria count, finding only one sample with a marginally elevated level of germs. A dairy is cited only if there is a second elevated test on the same product.
Whittier agreed to halt production on Thursday, and a spokesman for the public health agency, Tom Lyons, said last night that when Whittier resumes operations, the state will test milk from the mom-and-pop dairy specifically for listeria. But there are no immediate plans to begin testing for the germ statewide, he said. Milk is sampled monthly at all dairies in the state, with more exacting reviews carried out four times a year.
"We'll certainly take a look at [broader testing for listeria], but no state in the country does this type of testing," Lyons said. "That's because this type of bacteria is not usually found to occur in pasteurized milk products."
The inspection reports, including an exhaustive quarterly review completed just three weeks ago, only served to deepen the mystery around the dairy and the listeriosis cases, an illness heralded by flu-like symptoms that can progress into life-threatening neurological conditions.
The state's top disease tracker said he knew of only two other situations in the United States in the past two decades when pasteurized milk was identified as the source of a cluster of listeriosis cases.
"We always ask about hot dogs and soft cheese and cold cuts - those are the most implicated foods," said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state's director of communicable disease control.
Milk is suspected as the cause in this case because a bottle of listeria-contaminated, coffee-flavored milk was found in the refrigerator of one victim and the genetic fingerprint of that strain matched the bacteria found in all four victims. Also, listeria was found in a milk sample taken last week at one of Whittier's stores.
Family-owned Whittier continued to decline requests for interviews yesterday, issuing a statement that it promised to cooperate with state investigators and adding that "we strive to produce the best product and therefore we are extremely concerned about the situation."
As word spread across Worcester County that Whittier had halted production, milk drinkers flooded a state hot line, corner stores discarded gallons of the drink, and delivery men lamented losing customers.
The state disease hot line received 50 to 100 calls from consumers and their physicians expressing concerns about potential exposure to listeria. Patients were told to see their doctors if they were ill, and physicians were told to send blood samples for testing at the state laboratory.
At the Bagel Time deli in Worcester, general manager Tracy Adams had a worker begin removing Whittier Farms products from the shelves before sunrise. The shop has been a loyal customer, offering milk flavored with coffee, strawberry, and chocolate. Bagel Time is a typical Whittier buyer: a small, neighborhood business, not a major chain.
Shaw's Supermarkets, for instance, does not sell Whittier products, which are marketed under brand names that include Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook, Maple, and Model. Whittier also runs its own shops in West Sutton and Shrewsbury.
"It's unfortunate because their product was top quality," Adams said. "They more than likely will not survive this, so we're at a loss."
For Brian Gay, the news was especially devastating. Gay delivers directly to the doorsteps of hundreds of customers. His company is called Maple Farm Dairy, but his milk actually comes from Whittier Farms.
Yesterday, his voicemail box overflowed with customers. Some complained of headaches that they wanted to blame on the milk. Others said that their child's diarrhea surely must be a result of contaminated milk.
So he made the necessary decision to begin delivering another company's product, even as some of his customers told him they were finished with home delivery.
"It's really hard to get business, and it's really hard to lose it, too," Gay said.
Some longtime Whittier customers such as Craig Hokanson, a Shrewsbury chiropractor, continued to pledge their fealty to the company. All day yesterday, his patients peppered him with questions, asking if they should be scared.
"It's a family business," Hokanson said. "It's fresh and local and I always support local."
Stephen Smith can be reached at stsmith@globe.com. 