Wisconsin Residents Sicken from Raw Milk

August 27, 2009

State agencies in Wisconsin are warning residents not to drink raw milk. State law prohibits the sale or distribution of raw, unpasteurized milk. However, farmers and their families often drink their own product, “straight from the cow.”

The pasteurization process was created to clean milk of any bacteria or impurities. In most parts of the country, it is illegal to sell milk commercially if it has not gone through this process.

Recently, 13 residents of Wisconsin have sickened because they drank raw milk. The victims tested positive for a bacterial infection, campylobacter jejuni, which causes nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and vomiting. The infection can even lead to more severe complications.

All of the victims of the infection became ill between August 14th and 20th. They all consumed the raw milk or lived in the household where someone else consumed the milk. The source is still being investigated and it is unsure whether any punishment will be pursued.