The Delaware Division of Public Health is warning consumers to avoid consuming raw dairy products as a woman living in Sussex County has been diagnosed with a Brucella melitensis infection. This illness affects people who come into contact with sick animals or contaminated animal products. The most common source of this infection is the consumption of raw unpasteurized dairy products. Before she got sick, the patient consumed unpasteurized homemade dairy products from Mexico. She had no other risk factors. A second, related case of brucellosis is pending confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DPH Medical Director Dr. Rick Hong said in a statement: "Cases such as this one can serve as an unfortunate reminder that we are vulnerable to certain bacteria … [Read more...]
CDC Again Warns Consumers About Brucellosis in Raw Milk
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is again warning the public in 19 states about the potential exposure to Brucella RB51 in 19 states, connected to consuming raw milk from Miller's Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. One case of brucellosis was confirmed in New York in November 2018. Three people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with brucellosis after drinking raw milk since 2017. An unknown number of people, estimated to be in the hundreds, may have been exposed to the bacteria from drinking unpasteurized milk from this farm, a farm in Texas, and an online retailer. A cow that tested positive for the pathogen has been removed from the Miller's Biodiversity Farm milking herd. In late December 2018, raw milk and raw milk products from Miller's … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Consumers About Possible Brucella Risks in Raw Milk Sold by Udder Milk in NJ NY CT RI
The FDA is warning consumers who purchased raw milk from Udder Milk Co-Op that they may have been exposed to the RB51 strain of Brucella abortus, a pathogenic bacteria that can cause serious illness. A woman in New Jersey who drank the company's milk has been infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of that bacteria. Anyone who drank or ate Udder Milk raw milk or raw milk products should contact their doctor immediately and get post-exposure prophylaxis antibiotic treatment to avoid infection. Since this bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, any illness caused by these products can be serious. The only way to diagnose people infected with this strain of Brucella is to grow the bacteria through cultures. Most doctors do not test for Brucella when patients present with the … [Read more...]
Brucella Outbreak in Texas From Raw Milk
A Texas resident has been diagnosed with brucellosis and has been hospitalized after consuming raw milk from K-Bar Dairy in Paradise, Texas in Wise County. An investigation by Texas Department of State Health Services has determined that milk from that facility is "the most probable source of the infection." K-Bar Dairy is a licensed raw milk dairy. Officials are investigating additional illnesses that may be connected to this product. That milk and other dairy products sold by that facility are being recalled. Anyone who has consumed milk or other products from that dairy since June 1 is at high risk of a Brucella infection. The press release states that, "People who consumed milk from this dairy but have no symptoms should discuss the issue with their provider and monitor … [Read more...]
Raw Milk: A Risky Food
It never ceases to amaze me why people drink raw milk. Raw milk, as all should know, is unpasteurized. Pasteurization is the process by which milk, juices and other products are heated in order to kill off dangerous pathogens. Without pasteurization, bacteria that harm or even kill people remain in the milk. Pasteurization, a simple procedure that’s been used for about 150 years, is absolutely effective. Pasteurization does not affect the taste of milk. It does not reduce or degrade milk’s beneficial and nutritional qualities. Any claims that it does have been debunked by scientists and physicians. The only people who claim raw milk is good for you are people who ignore science. The only people who claim pasteurization makes milk less nutritious ignore science. This is … [Read more...]
Texas Brucellosis Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheese from Mexico
A brucellosis outbreak in Texas has been linked to unpasteurized cheese from Mexico, according to a health advisory issued by the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services. A record number of 13 people have been diagnosed in 2016 so far. Dallas usually has only 2 to 6 cases of brucellosis every year. There were 11 Brucella infections total in 2014. The cheeses were brought into the U.S. from Mexico by friends or relatives, consumed while traveling in Mexico, or bought from local street vendors. The patient age range is from 6 to 80 years. Most required hospitalization to start treatment. And two incidents of "high-risk occupational exposures of hospital laboratory personnel have occurred during handling of these clinical Brucella isolates." Brucella bacteria typically … [Read more...]
Brucellosis Scare at Raw Milk Dairy Proves False in Massachusetts Review
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has lifted a cease and desist order against the sale of raw milk and raw milk products from Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, after a Brucellosis scare turned out to be a false alarm. The owner of the small dairy farm was diagnosed with the disease, which is caused by consumption of the pathogen Brucella. But further testing by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) determined the man's illness was not Brucellosis. In the meantime, state and federal ag officials tested all 270 cows in the farm's dairy herd and found no trace of the organism, which used to be a huge public health threat until vaccinations in herds helped reduce it to a rare problem. On Jan. 20, the MDAR and the DPH issued a … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Raw Milk Could be Contaminated with Brucella
The Massachusetts Department of Health issued an alert for raw milk, after a man who consumed raw milk from a dairy in December 2011 has been diagnosed with brucellosis. Brucellosis, which is caused by ingesting the Brucella bacteria, is rare in the United States and hasn't been identified in Massachusetts for decades. It is also called Gibraltar fever, Mediterranean fever, or undulant fever. It is considered a zoonosis, a disease transmitted from animals to humans. Brucellosis is most frequently transmitted by drinking raw milk and eating cheese made with unpasteurized dairy products. Brucella bacteria causes flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, swollen lymph glands, sweating, and back pains. A diagnosis of brucellosis requires antibiotics. The bacteria can cause chronic … [Read more...]
