Listeria found in raw milk from Richard Dirie Farm, in Sullivan County New York has prompted a warning from state agricultural officials. Consumers who have purchase raw milk from located at 1345 Shandelee Road, Livingston Manor, New York should not drink it. as they risk life-threatening illness if they do.
Illnesses had not been reported to the Ag department at the time of the recall, but symptoms of a Listeria infection can take as long as two months to develop. A sample of the milk, collected by an inspector from the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on October 21, 2014, tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
The farm was notified of the test result onOctober 23, 2014 and volunteered to suspend raw milk sales until the sample results were confirmed. Further lab tests, completed on October 28, 2014, confirmed the presence of Listeria in the raw milk sample. The farm may not sell raw milk until test show it is free of the harmful bacteria.
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, cancer patients, elderly people, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
