Florida Officials Warn About Risks Of Drinking Raw Milk After 21 Infections

Florida officials are informing nan nationalist astir nan risks of consuming earthy beverage aft complete 20 group person gotten sick.

Thus far, location person been 21 cases of Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections linked to earthy beverage from nan aforesaid farm, nan Florida Department of Health said Monday. Of those, six person been successful children nether nan property of 10.

There person been 7 reported hospitalizations and astatine slightest 2 cases reported terrible complications, wellness officials said. The infections occurred successful northbound and cardinal Florida.

"Sanitation practices successful this workplace are of peculiar interest owed to nan number of cases," nan section said, without naming nan workplace successful question. "Floridians are encouraged to usage this accusation to make informed decisions astir their wellness and sources of earthy beverage should they take to devour it."

Raw beverage is beverage that has not been pasteurized — meaning it hasn’t gone done a heat-treating process that destroys bacteria.

Drinking earthy beverage aliases its products tin expose group to germs, including Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Listeria, Salmonella, and different types of bacteria, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Campylobacter tin make group sick pinch diarrhea, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is 1 type of E.coli, which tin origin bloody diarrhea, terrible tummy cramps, and abdominal vomiting, according to nan CDC.

STEC germs successful nan astir terrible shape and tin besides consequence successful hemolytic uremic syndrome, which tin lead to kidney nonaccomplishment and is peculiarly concerning for children and groups pinch weaker immune systems, nan Florida Department of Health said.

In Florida, earthy beverage tin only beryllium sold for non-human consumption, specified arsenic pet food, and containers of earthy beverage sold successful nan Sunshine State must beryllium intelligibly branded that nan earthy beverage is for animal depletion only.

The news merchandise noted that galore group do devour earthy beverage safely, but "the producer’s handling of earthy beverage and milking procedures are captious successful nan prevention of contamination."

Raw beverage has grown successful fame successful caller years, including by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who heads nan Department of Health and Human Services. Last twelvemonth connected X, Kennedy criticized nan Food and Drug Administration’s "aggressive suppression" of earthy milk. However, since Kennedy took complete HHS, location haven't been meaningful changes to national argumentation regarding earthy milk.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration strongly supports beverage pasteurization and notes that since 1987, location person been astatine slightest 143 reported outbreaks of unwellness associated pinch nan depletion of earthy beverage and earthy beverage products contaminated pinch bacteria. Today, 20 states prohibit intrastate earthy beverage sales.