Contaminated milk been sold in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising
anyone who consumed Udder Milk products to seek medical attention. According to
the CDC, people who drank raw milk from the company may have been infected with
a rare germ called Brucella abortus RB51, which can cause an illness called
brucellosis.
Officials say a New Jersey woman became sick with an
antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria after consuming Udder Milk earlier
this year.
Udder Milk operates in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and
Rhode Island. The FDA describes the company as a "co-op on wheels"
that makes deliveries. Udder Milk's website says the company offers raw milk,
yogurt, sour cream, butter and various cheeses, as well as camel milk.
Little information is available about which farms may be
supplying contaminated milk. As a result, the CDC recommends that anyone who
drank raw milk or consumed raw milk products from Udder Milk in the past six
months visit their doctor for antibiotics to prevent illness.
"Because health officials have no direct way to let
people know they may have drunk contaminated milk, everyone who consumed milk
from Udder Milk in the past 6 months should receive antibiotics now to avoid
having long-term health effects from the bacteria," William Bower, M.D.,
team lead for the CDC group that investigates brucellosis, said in a statement.
People who have consumed raw Udder Milk should also check
themselves daily for fever for one month after they last drank it. They should
also watch for symptoms of brucellosis, including muscle pain, lasting fatigue,
arthritis, depression, and swelling of the testicles. It may take as long as
six months before symptoms first appear.
If left untreated, Brucella RB51 infection can result in
long-term health problems such as arthritis, heart problems, enlargement of the
spleen or liver, and, in rare cases, nervous system problems like meningitis.
It can also cause severe illness in people with weakened
immune systems and miscarriages in pregnant women, the CDC says.
Officials say they are investigating Udder Milk's supplier
because the company hasn't reported its dairy source.
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