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[HEALTH] · Italy · 48 sources

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Mattia Maestri dies at 13 after nine years in coma from raw‑milk cheese infection

Mattia Maestri, a 13‑year‑old from Coredo in Trentino, Italy, died on 2 August 2026 after spending nine years in a vegetative state. In 2017, at age four, he contracted a severe infection with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) after eating a raw‑milk cheese contaminated with the bacterium. The infection caused hemolytic‑uremic syndrome, leading to irreversible neurological damage and a permanent coma.

His father, Giovanni Battista Maestri, announced the death and recalled the long legal and public‑health campaign he pursued on his son’s behalf. The family sued the cheese producers, published a book on the dangers of raw‑milk products, and advocated for mandatory warning labels and stricter safety rules for unpasteurised dairy. The case sparked a national debate in Italy about raw‑milk cheese safety, prompting calls for new Ministry of Health guidelines and legislative proposals to improve consumer information.

Mattia’s death has renewed attention on food‑borne infections in children and the need for rigorous controls in the dairy supply chain.

Entities

Caseificio sociale di Coredo · Coredo · Coredo, Trentino · Coredo, Trentino, Italy · Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) · Escherichia coli · Escherichia coli · Escherichia coli (Shiga‑toxin producing) · Giovanni Battista Maestri · Italian Court of Cassation · Italian Ministry of Health · Italian courts

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