Public health types have better things to do: 8 sick from raw milk in Idaho

Idaho Public Health officials are investigating eight illnesses in southwest Idaho likely associated with drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk.

napoleon.raw.milkTo date, four Campylobacter and four E.coli O157:H7 cases have reported drinking raw milk produced by the Natural Farm Fresh Dairy of Kuna in the week prior to getting sick. The investigation is ongoing with Southwest and Central District Health departments, working in association with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

“If people have recently purchased raw milk from this dairy, we advise them not to drink it and to discard it,” says Dr. Leslie Tengelsen, State Public Health Veterinarian with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is working with Natural Farm Fresh Dairy to confirm if the raw milk from that facility was the source of the reported illnesses. The dairy is fully cooperating with the investigation and issued the following statement: “Natural Farm Fresh is committed to providing a safe and wholesome product to its customers. Effective immediately, we are voluntarily removing all raw milk products currently on the shelves in retail stores and we will discontinue further distribution of our raw milk until additional product testing is completed.”