Additional Coverage:
Tragedy Strikes New Mexico: Raw Milk Suspected in Newborn’s Listeria Death
New Mexico – A heartbreaking incident in New Mexico has prompted health officials to issue a stark warning against consuming unpasteurized dairy products after a newborn baby died from a listeria infection. Investigators believe the infection was likely linked to the child’s mother drinking raw milk during her pregnancy.
State officials, while respecting privacy restrictions, indicated that the most probable source of the infection was unpasteurized milk, based on information gathered during their investigation, including the timing of the infection and reports of the mother’s raw milk consumption.
This tragic event comes amid a recent surge in interest and sales of raw milk, fueled by social media trends and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. However, health officials are emphasizing the significant risks associated with unpasteurized dairy.
Raw milk can harbor various disease-causing germs, including listeria, a dangerous bacterium that can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or fatal infections in newborns, even if the mother experiences only mild symptoms. Beyond listeria, raw milk can also contain germs responsible for infections from avian influenza, brucella, tuberculosis, salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, and E. coli. These infections pose particular dangers to young children, individuals over 65, and those with compromised immune systems.
Pasteurization, a process that heats milk to a temperature sufficient to eliminate harmful germs, effectively prevents these types of infections, safeguarding public health.