The outbreak of salmonella, which has made more than 160 people in California and a small number of individuals in other states sick, was caused by raw dairy products from a single dairy farm, the new report explains.
Outbrave – The Thursday (July 24) of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took place between September 2023 and March 2024. This prompted investigations by state and federal officials.
This outbreak is noteworthy as it was “one of the largest foodborne outbreaks associated with raw milk in recent US history.” Between 2009 and 2021, there were 16 salmonella outbreaks linked to raw milk consumption, which were relatively small, with 2-33 people involved.
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Furthermore, last year’s outbreak was prominent as it affected prominent young children.
“Commercially available raw dairy products can cause a large, widespread outbreak of infectious diseases,” the report warned. “Public health officials should continue to raise awareness of the risks associated with raw dairy consumption, especially by people at high risk of intestinal disease. [intestinal] Pathogens, including children. ”
In addition to salmonella, raw milk contains bacteria that cause other diseases, such as avian influenza virus, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria and Brucella. This is because raw milk, also known as unpasteurized milk, is not heated to high temperatures to kill those bacteria before it is sold. Children under the age of 5, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems face particularly high risks when consuming raw dairy products, as the bacteria mentioned above can become seriously ill.
Related: How does E. coli enter food?
The salmonella outbreaks mentioned in the report affected a total of 171 people. Most cases occurred in California, but there was one case each in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
Of the total cases, 67 occurred in children under the age of 5, with 40 years of age in children between 5 and 12 years of age, and 13 in children under the age of 18. Of the 22 known cases requiring hospitalization, 18 were children under the age of 18. No deaths have been reported.
“The distribution of cases was consistent with continuous common occurrences,” the report author wrote. This was also confirmed by genetic analysis of salmonella samples collected from affected patients and found in dairy products.
That said, the source of infection for four cases outside of California is not 100% certain. In accordance with federal law, raw dairy products intended for human consumption are not permitted to be sold across state lines. However, “federal law does not prohibit interstate sales of raw milk for pet consumption or interstate sales of matured raw cheese for more than 60 days,” the authors of the report said.
Therefore, these four cases may have included local sales of products originally produced in California, namely, raw cheese or milk for pets.
“Another possible explanation for non-California outbreak cases is that the patient fails to remember his travel history and either did not report it accurately or was infected with unrecognized secondary transmission,” the authors speculated.
MMWR does not name any dairy products involved in the outbreak. However, in 2024, Fresnoby reported that authorities linked the outbreak to Fresno County-based Raw Farm LLC, which led to recalls of products and inspections for some of the facility. Separately, the same company also detected avian flu in some of its products in late 2024, prompting another recall.
Live Science contacted Raw Farm before its publication, but the company declined to comment on the story.
Meanwhile, this month, the Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania is urging people to throw away all family cattle branded raw dairy products after locals become ill with salmonella infection after consuming the product. The family cow is based in Chambersburg. “Anyone who consumes raw milk from a family cow should consult a healthcare provider if they get sick,” the department advises.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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