MI Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is investigating an outbreak of Campylobacter among young children and others who drank raw milk from a cow-share program.
The Michigan Campylobacter outbreak started in early March and most of the eight confirmed victims are young children, including a 2-year-old. The oldest of the eight is 51.
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An MDCH press release says all Campylobacter patients in the outbreak consumed raw milk from Family Farms Cooperative in Vandalia, Michigan.
Persons who are ill with Campylobacter symptoms and have consumed raw milk recently should consult with their medical provider and ask about being tested for Campylobacter infection.
For answers to legal questions and liability concerning food poisoning from raw milk, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.
MDCH said Family Farms Cooperative operates a cow share program where members own part of a cow and in return receive raw dairy products. The milk for the program comes from a dairy farm in Indiana and is not availabe at retail. The plastic containers of raw milk have the following information on a green and white cap: "FOREST GROVE DAIRY, MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA; RAW COW'S MILK, WARNING-NOT PASTEURIZED, 128 FL OZ."
Cow share programs are not inspected or regulated under Michigan law. The confirmed Campylobacter cases are in Macomb, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. No hospitalizations have been reported to date.
Dr. Gregory Holzman, chief medical executive for MDCH, has issued a public health alert over the outbreak. He gave the following statement: "Raw or unpasteurized milk and dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. Coli.''
Campylobacter is a bacterial illness causing diarrhea (often bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps 2 to 5 days after exposure. Illness may persist for 1-2 weeks.
I participate in a cow share program and the milk is tested daily, weekly, and monthly-For EVERYTHING> The farmers do an OUTSTANDING job making sure the milk is clean AND nutritious. I will NEVER drink the poison they call "Milk" from a store ever again. Support the LOCAL farmers and KNOW where your food comes from!