SALT LAKE CITY — Federal and state officials nationwide are investigating an outbreak of Brucella in raw milk.
Brucella is a drug-resistant bacteria that can cause heart problems, arthritis and miscarriage.
What happened: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that 19 states bought or consumed raw milk that came from Miller’s Biodiversity Farm.
- The CDC says you should throw out raw milk or raw milk products that come from the farm.
- In fact, people who have been drinking milk or eating products from the farm since 2016 might have been exposed, according to CDC.
- “People who are still within six months of the date they last consumed the raw milk are at an increased risk for brucellosis and should receive antibiotics to prevent infection and symptoms, and should monitor their health for possible symptoms for six months. If symptoms develop, they should see their doctor immediately for testing,” according to CDC.
- The infection could take six months to take effect, according to USA Today.
Symptoms can include fever, sweats, loss of appetite, headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and more serious complications, according to Food Safety News.
States: According to the CDC, the states affected include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.
History: The CDC said that the investigation began when a New York resident, who drank raw milk from the farm, suffered from brucellosis in November 2018.
The milk samples tested positive for RB51, which is a “strain found in the milk (that) is resistant to rifampin, an antibiotic often used to prevent or treat brucellosis,” according to US News and World Report.
A cow with RB51 was removed from the herd.