The Florida Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of infections linked to drinking unpasteurized milk, officials said this week.
The health department issued a bulletin Monday, reporting that 21 people who consumed raw milk from the same farm had been infected with campylobacter and E. coli, with seven of those patients requiring hospitalization.
Of the 21 cases, six were children under the age of 10.
“Severe complications have been reported for at least two cases,” officials said.
The health department did not name the farm that produced the raw milk but confirmed the ingredient was linked to the cases.
It is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption in Florida. Raw milk can legally be sold for non-human consumption “as pet or animal food,” the health department stated, because it doesn’t undergo the same sanitary regulations and can be a source of foodborne illness.
“Due to continued recent cases of Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections linked to a particular farm, the Florida Department of Health is providing information to assist Floridians in making informed decisions about their health,” Monday’s health alert stated. “Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for more details.
