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Disease Outbreaks Associated with Milk Products.

This page contains a table of disease outbreaks associated with milk products in the United States and Canada.

Table 1. Disease Outbreaks Associated with Milk Products.

Year Organism Source Location Number of people ill Reference
2007 Listeria monocytogenes Pasteurized milk Massachusetts 4 reported w/ 3 deaths. Mass Dept of Health Release
2007 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk Washington unknown Washington State Dept of Ag Release
2007 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk cheese Kansas 68 reported KS Dept of Health Release
2007 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk Georgia 3 families, 1 hospitalized Atlanta Journal Constitution, 23 Jul 07
2007 undisclosed Raw milk cheese Ontario 2 dozen people Ontario Citizen 20 Jul 2007
2007 Campylobacter jejuni Unpasteurized milk North Carolina 1 reported Newsbrief from Winston-Salem Journal
2007 Salmonella typhimurium Raw milk Pennsylvania 8 reported PA Dept of Health Release
2007 Yersinia & Listeria Raw Milk Ontario 2 children Grey Bruce Health Unit News Releases
2006 Salmonella Raw milk Ontario 5 reported Ottawa Citizen, 14 Dec 06
2006 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Raw milk Washington 2 children Int. Soc. for Infect. Dis. 2006b
2006 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Raw milk California 4 children Int. Soc. for Infect. Dis. 2006a
2006 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk Ohio 3 people; 2 children, 1 adult Int. Soc. for Infect. Dis. 2006c
2004 Mycobacterium bovis Fresh cheese from Mexico (pasteurization status unknown) New York 35 people CDC, 2005
2003 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk served at high school athletic-team dinner Utah 13 people; 11 to 50 yrs old Peterson, 2003
2002 Salmonella typhimurium Raw milk purchased from dairy-restaurant Ohio, Illinois, Indiana 62 people; 1 to 70 yrs old CDC, 2003; Mazurek et al., 2004
2001 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk from local farm; cow leasing program Wisconsin 75 people; 2 to 63 yrs old CDC, 2002
2001 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Raw goat's milk Canada 5 people Public Health Agency of Canada, 2002
2001 Listeria monocytogenes Homemade fresh Mexican-Style cheese from contaminated raw milk North Carolina 12 people; 10 women pregnant CDC, 2001
1998 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Fresh cheese curds; 1 vat made with raw milk that was incorrectly labeled as pasteurized milk Wisconsin 55 people; 15 months - 90 yrs old , 25 people hospitalized CDC 2000
1994 Salmonella enteriditis Ice cream products - pasteurized ice cream premix was contaminated with raw eggs during shipping Minnesota source, nationwide distribution and outbreak 593 culture confirmed; 224,000 estimated ill CDC, 1994; Hennessey et al., 1996
1994 Listeria monocytogenes Pasteurized chocolate milk; poorly handled after pasteurization Illinois 45 people; 3 to 79 yrs old, 4 people hospitalized Dalton et al., 1997
1986 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Raw Milk US 2 children; 5 to 13 months Martin et al., 1986
1985 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk from farm tour California 23 people CDC, 1986
1985 Listeria monocytogenes Mexican-style soft cheese contaminated with raw milk California 142 people; 93 pregnant/neo-natal, 38 immunocompromised adults, 5 elderly; 10 neonatal deaths, 20 fetal deaths CDC, 1985; Linnan et al., 1988
1985 Salmonella typhimurium Pasteurized milk; probable contamination with raw milk after pasteurization Illinois 16,000 culture confirmed cases, estimated ill between 168,000 to 198,000 CDC, 1995; Ryan et al., 1987
1984 Campylobacter jejuni Certified raw milk, ice cream, kefir from certified raw milk bottling plant tour California 12 people; 9 children, 3 adults CDC, 1984c
1984 Salmonella typhimurium Inadequately pasteurized raw milk Kentucky 16 people CDC, 1984b
1984 Salmonella typhimurium Cheese Canada Several hundred people CDC, 1984a
1984 Unknown Raw milk Minnesota 122 people Osterholm et al., 1986
1983 Group C Streptococcus Homemade fresh Mexican-style cheese from contaminated raw milk New Mexico 16 people

CDC, 1983b
1983 Listeria monocytogenes Pasteurized milk from farm with contaminated raw milk Massachusetts 49 people; 7 fetuses, 42 immunocompromised adults; 14 deaths Fleming et al., 1985
1983 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk from farm tour Pennsylvania 57 school children and adults in 2 outbreaks CDC 1983a
1982 Yersinia enterocolitica Pasteurized milk Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi 172 people; 6 wks to 73 yrs old Tacket et al., 1984
1981 Salmonella dublin Raw milk from commercial dairy Washington 18 people; 8 months to 71 yrs old CDC, 1981c
1981 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk from commercial dairy Kansas 43 people CDC, 1981d
1981 Campylobacter jejuni Raw milk Oregon 91 people CDC, 1981a
1981 Salmonella saint-paul Certified raw milk California 1 infant CDC, 1981a
1980 Salmonella typhimurium Raw milk from local dairy Montana 105 people; 3 weeks to 71 yrs old CDC, 1981b
1978 Yersinia enterocolitica Chocolate milk, chocolate mixed in after pasteurization New York 38 people; 36 children hospitalized Black et al., 1978
1973 Brucella melitensis Fresh Mexican cheese made with raw milk Unreported 3 people Eckman, 1975

 

 

Updated 02/08/07