Q Fever Meningitis from Raw Milk from a Livingston County, Michigan Farm
Three Michigan residents contracted Q fever after consuming raw milk. They each acknowledged obtaining raw milk from a Livingston County farm, where they participate in a dairy herd share program. Herd or cow share programs are where members own part of a cow and in return receive raw dairy products. These programs are not inspected or regulated under Michigan’s dairy laws, and these products are not available at retail stores.
Q fever is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. This organism is common in farm animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Infected animals shed the organism in their urine, feces, milk and birthing fluids. Q fever causes serious illness, including:
- Meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding your brain and spinal cord
- Endocarditis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding your heart
- Pneumonia
- Acute respiratory distress
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation
In this case, one of the people sickened developed Q fever meningitis and required prolonged hospitalization.
“Our experience with raw milk cases is that consumers are not informed of the inherent dangers of the product,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “This has got to change. If legislatures are going to legalize the sale of raw milk via herd share agreements, they need to require disclosure prior to signing the agreement.”
Dr. Dean Sienko, interim chief medical executive for MDCH, has voiced the same concern:
The public should be aware that raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products have not been heat treated and, therefore, pose a potentially serious risk to human health. Unpasteurized milk and dairy products may contain many types of disease-causing germs, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.
Two of the people sickened are in Washtenaw County and one in Monroe County. All three individuals are women in their 30s or 40s.
Acute symptoms of Q fever typically develop within two-three weeks after exposure. Typical symptoms include high fevers (up to 104-105F), severe headache, joint and body aches, fatigue, chills/sweats, non-productive cough, chest pain, nausea and vomiting.
