Lessons from the California E.coli Illness

I read once again through the many comments concerning my posting about Lauren Herzog’s illness ("E.coli and Raw Milk: A Family Web of Intrigue and Resentment"), and realized more than before just how informative they are.

I think what impresses me most is the realization of just how delicate our individual internal environments are in terms of bacterial/ph balance. Several commentators explained in very lucid terms the dangers associated with trying to rid our environments of potentially dangerous bacteria because of the risks of simultaneously destroying beneficial bacteria.

I also appreciate the willingness of readers to explore the possible deficiencies of Lauren’s immune system. We as a culture seem reluctant to consider the destructiveness of the many highly processed foods that are the mainstay of our food system in terms of making people more vulnerable to disease. This particular circumstance, involving just a few individuals, lends credence to the problem.

A number of people raised the question of whether Lauren should have been served raw milk at all. I am inclined to agree that parents need to keep in mind the power of raw foods and the possibility that they can sicken a young child not used to them. It shouldn’t be this way, and it seems like just another problem to worry about among the many we have to remember when we have children as guests. It seems clear that Chelsea Higholt didn’t even consider the possibility of danger, since she was so used to serving raw milk in her family. I suppose one can also argue that this same logic could make one think twice about taking a child guest to pretty much any restaurant, since E.coli 0157:H7 is so pervasive.

To those who expressed appreciation to me for pursuing this matter, thank you. In this situation, I was torn between pursuing what seemed an important health matter and violating a family’s personal privacy–all layered over the matter of whether I had somehow worsened the situation via my original reporting for BusinessWeek.com. I am gratified if I was able to add in small ways to our knowledge and understanding of a major and recurring health issue.