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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
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 26 SOURCES] The family campaigned for mandatory warning labels on raw‑milk cheese products. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +18 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] The case led to criminal convictions of two former dairy‑cooperative officials. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +18 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] Mattia Maestri died at age 13. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +18 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] He contracted an infection with Shiga‑toxin‑producing Escherichia coli after eating raw‑milk cheese. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +18 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] He had been in a permanent vegetative state for nine years since 2017. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +17 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] Mattia was receiving up to 47 different medications daily before his death. www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · +18 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] The infection caused hemolytic‑uremic syndrome (HUS) leading to permanent brain damage. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +18 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] His father, Giovanni Battista Maestri, announced his death publicly. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.calabrianews.it · www.corcianonline.it · +17 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] He had been in a permanent vegetative state since 2017. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.blunote.it · www.calabrianews.it · +15 more
- [● 20 SOURCES] His death was announced by his father Giovanni Battista Maestri. www.cinturaovest.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.dire.it · www.blunote.it · www.calabrianews.it · +12 more