BIRD-IN-HAND, Pa.–A listeria outbreak from two years ago has been traced to raw milk from an organic farm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
The CDC released a report on Friday that said raw milk produced by Miller’s Organic Farm in Pennsylvania tested positive for listeria.
The bacteria causes listeriosis, an infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract. This serious infection can cause problems such as a high fever, diarrhea and a host of other symptoms. In some cases, it can result in death.
The CDC began investigating Miller’s Organic Farm after it determined the farm was the source of the 2014 listeria outbreak. Two people, one in California and another in Florida, contracted the illness after their families stated they drank raw milk.
The Florida resident died. Family members reported the victim had bought raw milk from Miller’s Organic Farm.
Raw milk is milk from cows or other animals that has not been pasteurized. Unpasteurized products can carry dangerous bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E. coli, according to the CDC.
“We recommend that people drink and eat only pasteurized dairy products,” the health agency said.
Miller’s Organic Farm is a private club where members can order a variety of products, ranging from an assortment of animal milks to fresh produce, oils and meats.
In November 2015, the farm’s chocolate milk tested positive for listeria after the FDA took a sample during a raw milk conference in California. The FDA informed the CDC, which was able to link the farm to the two listeria cases that happened the previous year.
“Because listeria was recently found in raw milk produced by Miller’s Organic Farm, we are concerned that contaminated raw milk and other raw dairy products from this company could still be on the market and make people sick,” the CDC said in its report.
