Are there health risks from consuming raw milk and milk products?
• Yes. Drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, or eating products made from raw milk, such as cream, cheese or yogurt, can be dangerous because raw milk can be contaminated with harmful bacteria. • Contaminated raw milk and milk products can cause: • Diarrhea and stomach pain, (which may be severe), from infections with Campylobacter, Salmonella, or E. coli O157:H7 bacteria • Severe kidney damage from infection with E. coli O157:H7 (called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS) • Miscarriage/stillbirth, or severe illness or death in the newborn when a pregnant woman is infected with Listeria bacteria • Fevers and joint or bone damage caused by infection with Brucella bacteria (brucellosis) • In some parts of the world raw milk can also be contaminated with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and diphtheria. • People with weakened immune systems, including young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions, are at highest risk for severe infections from cont
