Raw goat milk produced by Claravale Farms in San Benito County has been linked to a Campylobacter outbreak that has sickened three small children, hospitalizing one of them. The outbreak follows to previous recalls for Campylobacter in raw dairy products from the farm, one in April 2105 and one in April 2012. The farm's website does not mention the current outbreak. But it does have news updates about the April recall. One of them states: "We have been cleared by the CDFA to sell milk again and are now back in the stores and farmers markets. Our problem turned out to be a single cow with Campylobacter living in the milk in her udder... So what these results mean is that the problem was in no way connected to our milking or processing procedures or our cleanliness standards or any other … [Read more...]
Most Food Poisoning Outbreaks Not Made Public
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is out with a new report about food poisoning outbreaks in 2013. There were 818 food poisoning outbreaks that year, 26 of them were multistate, but only seven of those appearing on the list were made public in 2013. The CDC defines an outbreak as two or more illnesses caused by the same source. The 818 outbreaks resulted in 13,360 illnesses, 1,062 hospitalizations, 16 deaths and 14 recalls. The 26 multistate outbreaks resulted in 1,530 illnesses, 403 hospitalizations and seven deaths. The seven multistate outbreaks that the CDC made public in 2013, resulted in 1,092 illnesses, 313 hospitalizations and two deaths. Comparing the multistate outbreaks listed in the new report to those disclosed is a little tricky. On its website, the … [Read more...]
Campylobacter Outbreak Linked to Undercooked Liver Pâté
Undercooked chicken liver in restaurant pâté was the source of a January 2014 Campylobacter outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the second time a multistate outbreak of campylobacteriosis has been linked to undercooked chicken livers. Two Oregon restaurants were involved in the outbreak that sickened five people. Tests on chicken livers taken from the restaurants were positive for the same strain of Campylobacter found in a culture from one of the patients. Three of the patients, ages 31–76, were women. Two of the patients were from Ohio and visited an Oregon restaurant, two patients who dined at a second restaurant were from Oregon. A fifth case was discovered in Washington state. That patient had been advised by a naturopathic … [Read more...]
Second Campylobacter Scare for Claravale Farm
Almost three years to the day after the California Department of Food and Agriculture issued a recall of Claravale Farm raw milk products for possible Campylobacter contamination, it issued another one. Both times there had been reports of illness that "weren't definitively linked to the products." Both times the recall was for raw milk, raw nonfat milk and raw cream produced at San Benito County farm. Retail sales of raw milk are legal in California if the the farm is licensed. Claravale Farm does have a license. Campylobacter infections are commonly associated with raw milk. Campylobacter is a pathogen that is transfered via the fecal-oral route, meaning those who develop Campylobacter infections have ingested microscopic amounts of animal feces. Pasteurization kills … [Read more...]
Claravale Raw Milk Recalled for Campylobacter; Outbreak Possible
The California Department of Public Health is recalling raw milk, raw nonfat milk, and raw cream produced by Claravale Farm of San Benito County. This farm was the source of a Campylobacter outbreak in 2012 that sickened at least 22 people. Public health officials are also investigating reported clusters of Campylobacter illness in the area. A statewide recall has been issued and a quarantine order was issued by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. A confirmed detection of Campylobacter bacteria was found in raw milk and raw cream collected from the farm. Consumers are urged to throw away any of this farm's milk products in their refrigerators that have code dates of "MAR 28" and earlier. Discard in sealed containers so other people and animals can't drink it. The samples … [Read more...]
Durand Dairy Denies Raw Milk Sickened Football Team
The owners of a farm linked to a raw milk Campylobacter outbreak that sickened dozens of students and coaches who attended a football banquet in Durand, Wisconsin agreed to have their Grade A permit suspended for 30 days, but deny their milk was the source of the outbreak. Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s (DATCP) announced the farm's permit would be suspended for 30 days because of its link to the outbreak. The farm must abide by terms of an agreement with the ag department or face further penalties. Roland and Diana Reed pleaded no contest to a charge of distributing unpasteurized milk and maintain that outbreak was caused by other food served at the banquet. But health officials say the outbreak strain found in stool samples taken … [Read more...]
Most Campylobacter Outbreaks Caused by Dairy or Chicken
Most Campylobacter outbreaks are caused by contaminated chicken or dairy products, according to a new federal study by the Food Safety Analytics Collaboration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The study was conducted to provide information that can be used to develop better food poisoning prevention measures. Of the 952 outbreaks attributed to one pathogen during the 14-year study period, 161 were Campylobacter outbreaks. Dairy products were the source of 106, or two thirds, of all Campylobacter outbreaks. Chicken was the source of 24 of them. Vegetable row crops, seven. Turkey and seafood were each the source of five. Seeded vegetables, three. Beef, fruit and poultry other … [Read more...]
After Campylobacter Raw Milk Outbreak, Wisconsin Farm Penalized
After being linked to a raw milk Campylobacter outbreak that sickened dozens of students and coaches who attended a football banquet in Durand, Wisconsin, the owners of a Pepin County dairy will have their Grade A permit suspended for 30 days, according to the The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s (DATCP). Roland and Diana Reed, the owners of a Arkansaw, Wis. farm, served raw milk at a potluck dinner for the Durand High School football team in September and did not tell attendees that the milk was unpasteurized. Thirty three students and five coaches who drank the milk were sickened with Campylobacter infections. Ten of them were hospitalized. Campylobacter in manure samples taken form the farm matched tthe strain found in those who were sickened, … [Read more...]
Campylobacter Causes the Most Raw Milk Outbreaks
Campylobacter is the source of most raw milk outbreaks, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, which found raw milk outbreaks are on the rise, compared data from the two-year periods 2007-2009 and 2010-2012. Campylobacter causes an illness in humans called campylobacteriosis which produces diarrheal illness, fever, and abdominal cramps that can last up to 10 days. In rare cases, a Campylobacter infection can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, an illness that causes paralysis and death. In every year from 2007 to 2012, Campylobacter was the source of the majority of raw milk outbreaks, accounting for 81 percent of them overall. E. coli caused the second most with 17 percent, Salmonella was third with 3 percent and Coxiella burnetii was … [Read more...]
Apple Valley Creamery Raw Milk in PA Recalled for Campylobacter
Raw milk from Apple Valley Creamery in East Berlin, Pennsylvania has been recalled for Campylobacter contamination, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The samples taken January 8, 2015 tested positive for the pathogenic bacteria. If you purchased this milk, discard it immediately and do not drink it. The milk is sold at an on-farm retail store and through home delivery. Stores in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry also carry the creamery's products. The raw milk is sold under the Apple Valley Creamery label in half gallon and quart glass containers with sell-by dates of February 9 and February 11, 2015. The dairy cannot sell any more raw milk until health department officials clear the facility. Raw milk is often contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, which … [Read more...]
