Increased Outbreaks Associated with Nonpasteurized Milk, United States, 2007–2012 - Volume 21, Number 1—January 2015 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC
Volume 21, Number 1—January 2015
Dispatch
Increased Outbreaks Associated with Nonpasteurized Milk, United States, 2007–2012
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Abstract
The number of US outbreaks caused by nonpasteurized milk increased from 30 during 2007–2009 to 51 during 2010–2012. Most outbreaks were caused by Campylobacter spp. (77%) and by nonpasteurized milk purchased from states in which nonpasteurized milk sale was legal (81%). Regulations to prevent distribution of nonpasteurized milk should be enforced.
Pasteurization is an effective way to improve milk safety; however, in the United States, illness related to consumption of nonpasteurized milk continues to be a public health problem. The first statewide requirements that dairy products be pasteurized were enacted in Michigan in 1948 (1). In 1987, the US Food and Drug Administration banned the interstate sale or distribution of nonpasteurized milk. However, the laws regulating intrastate sales are set by each state (2). Regulations for intrastate sales of nonpasteurized milk vary from complete bans to permitting sales from farms or retail outlets (2). Even in states in which sale of nonpasteurized milk is illegal, milk can often be obtained through other means. For example, some states allow cow-share or herd-share agreements, in which buyers pay farmers a fee for the care of a cow in exchange for a percentage of the milk produced (3,4).
Consumption of nonpasteurized milk has been associated with serious illnesses caused by several pathogens, including Campylobacter spp., Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (3,4). Despite the health risks associated with consuming nonpasteurized milk, the demand for nonpasteurized milk has increased (3,5,6). Recently, many state legislatures have considered relaxing restrictions on the sale of nonpasteurized milk (2,6). We report that the number of outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk increased from 2007 through 2012.
Ms. Mungai is a surveillance epidemiologist at the Atlanta Research and Education Foundation and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her interests include infectious disease epidemiology and food safety.
References
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Suggested citation for this article: Mungai EA, Behravesh CB, Gould LH. Increased outbreaks associated with nonpasteurized milk, United States, 2007–2012. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2015 Jan [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2101.140447
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