County Links Nine Cases of Salmonella to 'Raw' Milk Products From Fresno

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - County of San Diego health officials today linked nine cases of Salmonella to unpasteurized or ``raw'' milk products from a producer in Fresno, and encouraged county residents to discard the products.

According to the county Health and Human Services Agency, the cases began in late September with products from Raw Farm LLC.

``The county recommends that people who have products from this company in their homes dispose of them immediately,'' said Dr. Seema Shah,

medical director of the county's Epidemiology and Immunization Services branch. ``It's also important for anyone sick to seek medical care.

``People who are ill, and those that live with them, should wash their

hands frequently to avoid contaminating surfaces and foods that could

spread the disease,'' Shah said.

The illnesses have been caused by Salmonella bacteria, commonly found

in human and animal intestines. The nine San Diego County residents who became

ill have reported consuming Raw Farm products the week before their illness

onset. The cases range in age from 1 to 41 years old. Three of the nine were

hospitalized, all of which were children.

Raw or ``natural'' milk has not gone through the pasteurization

process that heats the milk to a high temperature for a short period of time to

kill harmful germs that can contaminate raw milk. Pasteurization is the only

effective method for eliminating most harmful germs in raw milk or milk

products and does not significantly change dairy's nutritional value, a county

statement read.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against the

consumption of raw milk and related products. People most at risk for severe

illness are adults 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years of age and

individuals with weakened immune systems.

``People infected with Salmonella generally develop bloody or watery

diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting and headache approximately

six hours to six days after consuming contaminated foods,'' the county

statement reads. ``The illness typically lasts for 4-7 days. In some cases,

people may develop severe illness that leads to hospitalization.''

The HHSA is working closely with the California Department of Public

Health and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, to continue

investigating illnesses associated with raw milk and milk products.

Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-10-20-2023 15:57