Lab tests confirmed Tuesday what Oregon health officials suspected: Raw milk from Foundation Farm near Wilsonville was contaminated with a deadly strain of E. coli.

The tests found E. coli O157:H7 in the milk, manure and the cows themselves, said Christine Stone, spokeswoman for

.

At least 17 people are ill, including four children who've been hospitalized. Three of them are on kidney support.

Stone said multiple samples from Foundation Farm, including manure and rectal swabs from two of the cows tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, one of the deadliest food-borne pathogens. It also turned up in leftover milk -- a sign of high contamination.

Epidemiologists don't always find pathogens in contaminated food because it's never widespread in a product.

"The fact that it was found in the milk itself shows that it was probably contamination at a high level," said Dr. Katrina Hedberg, state epidemiologist.

The farm has four Jersey dairy cows, three that are lactating. It sold to 48 households through a herd-share program in which customers bought part of the herd. Oregon health officials have interviewed most of the families.

The Salyers, who own the farm, have sold raw milk for at least a year. They agreed to stop distribution last week when Oregon epidemiologists traced the outbreak to their raw milk. Epidemiologists visited the farm, collecting samples and taking photographs.

The Salyers have made no public comment. They've taken down contact information from a website and they've not returned calls seeking comment.

Oregon bans raw milk sales in stores but on-farm sales are allowed. Herd-share programs are not regulated. Both Washington and California allow raw milk sales but dairies have to be licensed and tested for bacteria.

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