Miller’s Biodiversity Farm raw milk and dairy products have been quarantined by public health officials because they may contain a strain of Brucella abortus (RB 51), according to a notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA). The farm is located in Harrisburg, Lancaster county. The press release was dated 12/22/2018. The Department has not posted an update on this issue.
The PDA has issued an order of quarantine to stop the sale of dairy products made from raw cow’s milk while an investigation is ongoing. Pasteurized dairy products from Miller’s Biodiversity Farm are safe to consume. The quarantine applies only to this farm.
One person in New York state has been diagnosed with RB51, and that illness was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The notice did not state whether or not that person has consumed raw milk dairy products from Miller’s Biodiversity Farm, although the New York Post stated that there is a possible connection. This bacteria does not cause any symptoms in cattle, but is spread from cattle to people.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help if you have contracted food poisoning by calling 1-888-377-8900.
Brucella abortis is a gram negative bacteria found in cattle. It causes abortion of a cattle fetus. It can cause a disease called brucellosis in people.
Brucella outbreaks happen infrequent;y in the United States. Most people acquire this infection by eating or drinking raw milk products. The disease is usually confined to Mexico, South America, and Central America and is less common in North America.
Symptoms of brucellosis include fatigue, fever, weakness, night sweats, weight loss, joint pain, and headache. There can be serious complications from this illness, which include endocarditis, meningitis, and osteoporosis myelitis. The incubation period can be long and last for weeks or months. Treatment is a combination of antibiotics for a long period of time.
