Creamworks Creamery milk is associated with a Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak in Pennsylvania, according to a press release by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. At least 17 people have laboratory-confirmed illnesses that “seem to be connected to only milk sold at the dairy,” according to the release.
Creamworks Creamery is certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to pasteurize milk at the farm. The dairy producers, pasteurizes, and bottles milk on the farm and sell sit to local customers at an on-site farm stand, to restaurants, and to grocery stores.
Yersinia enterocolitica causes symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. If the pathogen gets into the bloodstream, it can attack other organs. Illness onset is typically four to six days after exposure to the pathogen. The illness can mimic appendicitis and has led to unnecessary surgery in patients who have been misdiagnosed.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900.
If you purchased milk from this dairy, which is in Waymart, Wayne County, do not drink it or use it in cooking. Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement, “While we continue our investigation, it’s important for anyone who bought milk from this dairy to throw it away or return it. Creamworks Creamery has voluntarily stopped selling milk and is working with us to determine the source of the contamination. Anyone who consumed milk from Creamworks Creamery and became ill should contact their health care provider or us at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).”
Yersinia is a rare source of foodborne illness. Many labs and hospitals don’t look for Yersinia in samples, so this infection may be missed or misdiagnosed unless a proper technique is used.
If you drank milk from this creamy and have been ill, contact your healthcare provider. You may be part of this Yersinia outbreak.
