EHEC case: After nine years in a coma: 13-year-old from Italy dies

A 13-year-old boy from Italy has died after nine years in a coma. The boy from Trentino became seriously ill in 2017 at the age of four after consuming raw milk cheese contaminated with E. coli bacteria and subsequently fell into a persistent vegetative state. “Our Mattia has left us,” the boy’s father was quoted as saying in the media.

For his family, a long struggle between hope, care, and grief began nine years ago. Mattia’s father, Giovanni Battista Maestri, dedicated the past years to raising awareness about the risks of raw milk products and campaigning for stricter warning labels. The family wanted to use the little boy’s story as a warning to others.

The boy never regained consciousness.

According to media reports, Mattia developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after eating the cheese, a severe consequence of E. coli infection that can lead to kidney damage and neurological complications, among other things. After months in intensive care units and rehabilitation facilities, he never regained consciousness.

The case sparked a debate in Italy about the safety of unpasteurized dairy products. The family also brought their demands to the attention of politicians. Mattia’s father also published a book about the dangers of raw milk cheese. According to the newspaper “Corriere della Sera,” the family’s lawyers spoke of “nine years of suffering for a child and a family.”

Also found in raw meat and bathwater

EHEC infections occur regularly in Germany as well. According to data from the Robert Koch Institute, thousands of people fall ill every year. In 2024, the institute received a report of one death due to an EHEC infection.

EHEC stands for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and refers to certain pathogenic strains of the intestinal bacterium, which are primarily found in ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The microbes can be transmitted to humans, for example, through contaminated food—such as raw meat or raw milk. It is also possible that people ingest the bacteria, for example, through contaminated water while bathing.