The city of Columbia confirmed an additional case of E. coli 0157:H7 in a Boone County resident in a press release on April 20, bringing Boone County’s total number of cases to four.

The latest case is a child younger than 10 who required initial hospitalization but has since been released.

Boone County Health Department spokeswoman Geni Alexander said children are among those with an increased risk of getting E. coli.

“Children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems are more at risk,” Alexander said in an email.

The only similarity in all four cases of E. coli is that all four cases consumed raw, unpasteurized milk from the same farm in Howard County. According to Senate Bill 841, current Missouri law states farmers are allowed to sell it directly to consumers. The proposed bill would expand this to allow farmers to sell 100 gallons of raw milk or cream per day at a farmer’s market.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention website states that unpasteurized milk can pose severe health risks. Alexander gave several ways for Boone County residents to protect themselves from diseases like E. coli.

“There are many ways to get E. coli and many ways to protect yourself from getting E. coli,” Alexander said. “In addition to the points listed in the CDC’s literature, we would encourage anyone who wants to continue purchasing unpasteurized milk to consider home pasteurization to remove organisms that can cause severe illness. Additionally, we encourage patrons to visit the farm from which they get their raw milk and observe the operation.”

Of the four confirmed Boone County cases, two were children. Two also required hospitalization, though it is unclear which two. All four cases ranged in age from between 2-31 years old.