Raw Milk Risk Seen First-Hand by Vet
Raw milk is one of the riskiest of all foods a family could eat. That's the message a public health epidemiologist and veterinarian who works for the U.S. Public Health Service provides in a well-researched opinion written for FoodSafety.Gov..jpg)
Casey Barton Behravesh knows first hand as a vet how animals and their germs can contaminate all kinds of foods. Her job also is to investigate E. coli outbreaks and other outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by contaminated food or contact with infected animals. She has watched how many people have erroneously come to believe that unpasteurized milk contains extra nutrients or can solve health problems. The reality is that raw milk can cause devastating illness with long-term, disabling effects. Children and older adults are most at risk.
This medical professional says that another prevailing myth spread by raw milk enthusiasts is that healthy animals don't carry germs that contaminate raw milk. But in her training as a vet and health investigator, Ms. Behravesh can assure people who read her commentary that outbreaks of illness related to raw milk have been traced back to both grass-fed and grain-fed animals. Raw milk supplied by “certified,” “organic,” or “local dairies'' has no guarantee of being free of harmful pathogens that are carried benignly in the intestines and fecal matter of cows, goats, sheep and other animals. The micro-organisms can't be kept out of milk and pasteurization is the only foolproof way to kill them.
If you or a loved one has become sick from drinking raw milk that you believed couldn't hurt you, contact a food poisoning attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form. Our firm has filed raw milk lawsuits on behalf of many who have become seriously ill, paralyzed or ravaged in other ways from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter.
Here's an excerpt from Ms. Behravesh's public health warning:
"Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders, and even death. The seriousness of the illness is determined by many factors, such as the type of germ, the amount of contamination, and the person’s immune defenses.
"Speaking of immune defenses… it’s important to remember that some people are at higher risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk. The risk is greater for certain age groups, such as infants, young children, and older adults. It’s also particularly risky for pregnant women (and their unborn babies) and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS.
"Though some people are at higher risk of getting sick from raw milk, even healthy adults and older children can get seriously ill. Those who recover often suffer from life-long medical consequences.
