A Q fever raw milk warning has been issued by Missouri County Public Health in Montana after two cows tested positive for the pathogen Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria that causes the illness. Milk that was recently sold at a local farmers market came from that herd. While one of the cows had not yet produced milk, the other produced about 10% of the farmer's yield. The farm was not named. Environmental Health Director Shannon Therriault said in a statement, "We don’t know if the cow was shedding the bacteria at the time it was milked, or if that cow’s milk was sold at the farmers market. So we can’t say for sure whether anyone was exposed. However, what we do know is that unpasteurized milk can contain harmful bacteria that can make you and your loved ones sick. "While … [Read more...]