The CDC issues warning after suspected raw milk illnesses reported in 19 states

The Centers for Disease Control issued a warning on Feb. 13 concerning the consumption of raw milk. This follows reports from at least 19 states of suspected raw-milk-related Brucellosis, an infectious disease that can be passed from bovine to human via unpasteurized milk. However, there are other diseases that can be contracted through consuming raw milk, the CDC says: “Raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others that cause foodborne illness, often called ‘food poisoning.’” You might remember the West Virginia lawmaker, back in 2016, who fell ill after drinking a bunch of raw milk to celebrate legalizing raw milk. 

CBS News reports that the raw milk in question was sold in at least 19 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. Ars Technica explains that the case that has been identified and sent up all of these red flags is a case of Brucellosis.

It’s a hard-to-define febrile illness caused by Gram-negative Brucella bacterial species that infect a variety of animals and the occasional unlucky human. There are four species that pose particular risks to humans: Brucella suis, found in pigs; Brucella melitensis, found in sheep and goats; Brucella canis, from dogs; and—the one at the center of this current health alert—Brucella abortus, which is carried by cattle.

The raw milk movement shares a large Venn diagram curve with the same set of people who still believe that vaccines lead to autism and other childhood difficulties. That kind of thinking has led to an enormous outbreak of the once-eliminated measles in Washington state, as well as smaller outbreaks in at least nine other states.

from Daily Kos http://bit.ly/2Ea2Hdv