Lab tests in Maryland have confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in unopened samples of Your Family Cow raw milk which has sickened at least 23 people in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In Pennsylvania, where 19 of the 23 victims live, health officials are still awaiting test results from raw milk samples. In both states, health officials are advising consumers to discard raw milk purchased from the farm on or after January 1.
Your Family Cow farm in Chambersburg, Pa. has voluntarily stopped production of raw milk until testing is complete, but usually sells its raw (unpasteurized) milk at its farm store, at drop-offs, grocery stores and markets around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley and south-central Pennsylvania.
The sale of raw milk is legal in Pennsylvania but prohibited in Maryland. Raw milk enthusiasts from Maryland drive to Pennsylvania to buy it legally.
The federal Food and Drug Administration warns that raw milk can contain harmful bacteria including Campylobacter. If ingested, Campylobacter can cause an infection called campylobacteriosis which can, in severe cases, cause paralysis, respiratory failure, reactive arthritis, appendicitis, and infection of major organs.
