Outbreaks And Illnesses from Raw and Pasteurized Milk And Dairy Products, 1998-Present

Tables were compiled by the Real Raw Milk Facts working group through searches of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) online foodborne disease outbreak database (1998-2009). Because the CDC database has about a two-year lag period, preliminary data was gathered from government and dairy industry press releases, reports, and newsletters to document recent outbreaks (2010-present). Information on farm type and size was taken from the implicated dairy’s website, when available.

Download Table of Outbreaks from Foodborne Pathogens in Unpasteurized (Raw) Milk and Raw Milk Cheeses, United States

1998-present: raw-dairy-outbreak-table.pdf

Download Table of Pasteurized Dairy Outbreaks and Recalls, 1998 to Present: pasteurized-dairy-outbreak-table.pdf

SUMMARY

Raw (Unpasteurized) Dairy Products

118 total outbreaks

85 fluid milk: 17 cow, 4 goat, 64 unspecified milk type

27 cheese: 2 aged, 3 homemade, 17 Mexican-style queso fresco, 1 goat chevre, 1 curds, 3 unspecified

6 multiple raw dairy products (fluid milk, cheese, and/or colostrum)

2,128 total illnesses, 2 deaths

1,495 fluid milk-related illnesses, no deaths: 225 cow, 63 goat, 1,202 unspecified

576 cheese-related illnesses: 46 aged, 80 homemade, 324 Mexican-style queso fresco (2 deaths), 5 goat chevre, 63 curds, 58 unspecified cheese type

57 multiple raw dairy products-related illnesses (fluid milk, cheese, and/or colostrum)

Pasteurized Dairy Products

26 total outbreaks

9 fluid milk

16 cheese: 14 non-Mexican style; 2 Mexican style queso fresco

1 powdered milk

2,786 total illnesses, 4 deaths

2,200 fluid and powdered milk-related illnesses (3 deaths)

550 cheese-related illnesses: 537 non-Mexican style (1 death), 13 Mexican style queso fresco

36 powdered milk-related illnesses