Cryptosporidium in raw milk sickened 11 people in Idaho last year, according to a new report from the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak, linked to Treasured Sunrise Farms in Parma, Idaho, was the first ever Cryptosporidium raw milk outbreak linked to raw goat milk. A Cryptosporidium raw milk outbreak was linked to raw cow milk in Minnesota in 2010.
The 11 ill people sickened ranged in age from 2 months to 76 years. The median age was 11. One person was hospitalized.
Symptoms of an infection, which usually develop between two and 10 days of exposure, include: watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, vomiting and weight loss. Illness typically lasts one to two weeks, but can linger for up to a month.
Because Cryptosporidium infections can’t effectively be treated with drugs, they can be life threatening for people with weakened immune systems.
