Newborn dies of possible Listeria from raw milk in New Mexico: state officials
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A newborn in New Mexico has died from Listeria, a virus that may have been contracted from a mother who drank raw milk during pregnancy, according to state health officials.
The New Mexico Department of Health issued an alert Tuesday urging people to avoid consuming raw milk products after the death of an infant. Health officials believe the “most likely” source of infection is the mother drinking unpasteurized milk during pregnancy.
While the investigators said they were unable to determine the exact cause, they said “the tragic death underscores the serious dangers of raw milk to pregnant women, young children, elderly Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system.”
Raw milk has seen a surge in popularity among the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Health officials say a newborn baby in New Mexico has died from a Listeria infection that may be linked to a mother drinking raw milk during pregnancy. (Stock)
The US Food and Drug Administration passed a law decades ago banning the sale of raw milk, but the drink is not banned by the government, leaving it up to states to decide whether it is safe for human consumption.
“Pregnant people should only eat unpasteurized milk products to help prevent disease and death in newborns,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy regional epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health in a statement.
Raw milk has not been pasteurized – a process that heats the milk to remove disease-causing bacteria.
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The death of a newborn in New Mexico has been linked by health officials to Listeria disease linked to the consumption of raw milk. (Stock)
Consuming foods or beverages made from raw milk can expose people to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US, infecting about 1,250 people and causing about 172 deaths each year, according to the CDC.
The CDC notes that certain groups of people, including children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill.
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New Mexico health officials are warning against eating raw milk products after a newborn baby died from Listeria infection. (Stock)
“New Mexico dairy producers work hard to provide safe, healthy products and pasteurization is an important part of that process,” said Jeff M. Witte, New Mexico’s secretary of agriculture in a statement. “Consumers, especially those at high risk, are encouraged to choose non-dairy dairy products to reduce the risk of serious food-borne illness.”
Last August, an outbreak of E. coli and Campylobacter linked to raw milk from a Florida farm sickened 21 people, including six children.
