Dozens of cases of salmonella have been linked to raw milk from a California farm, a much larger outbreak than previously thought, according to newly released state documents.
In February, at least 165 people were infected with salmonella linked to products from Raw Farm in Fresno, California, according to data. It was the largest salmonella outbreak linked to raw milk reported in the United States in the past decade, health officials said.
The revelation of the scale of the outbreak comes as health officials warn the public to avoid unpasteurized milk Due to an avian influenza virus circulating among U.S. dairy cows. The avian influenza virus, known as type A H5N1, has been detected in more than 140 U.S. dairy herds and federal health officials say the virus has been detected at high levels in raw milk.
State and local health officials had not informed the public of the extent of the salmonella outbreak since October, when San Diego officials reported about a dozen cases. At that time, Raw Farm issued a voluntary recall of milk and heavy cream sold between Oct. 11 and Nov. 6.
Cases have continued to pile up, according to documents obtained by Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety attorney who shared the files with The Associated Press. Marler said he represents 16 clients who were reportedly sickened during the outbreak.
Investigators compared samples from sick people to those from the farm and a retail store, the documents show. More than 60% of the people who were confirmed to be infected and interviewed said they had eaten Raw Farm products. People from four states were infected, though the vast majority (162) were from California. Four of the people with salmonella were also infected with campylobacter and/or the dangerous E. coli bacteria, the documents show.
Nearly 40% of the cases have been reported in children under 5, authorities said. Twenty people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
California health officials said Wednesday they conducted a “rigorous” investigation in partnership with local teams and state agriculture officials and notified the public about the outbreak through the October recall notice and social media posts in October, November and December. The outbreak ended on May 4, officials said. It’s unclear whether additional cases were reported after February.
Brand McAfeeRaw Farm owner, acknowledged that his products contributed to the outbreak. He said a single cow was infected with salmonella last fall and was subsequently removed from the herd. He said he has implemented additional testing protocols in response to the outbreak.
Jessie McGee, 35, of San Pedro, Calif., said she is considering suing Raw Farm because her 6-year-old daughter was hospitalized in October with a confirmed infection linked to the outbreak. McGee said she read online about the purported health benefits of raw milk and began drinking Raw Farm products and giving them to her daughter and her 2-year-old twins. All three children and McGee became ill, she said, but her oldest daughter’s symptoms, a high fever and stomach cramps, were the most severe.
After the ordeal, McGee said she would no longer drink unpasteurized milk.
“None of the potential benefits that could be gained from milk are worth all of this,” she said.
