A newborn baby died from a listeria infection likely linked to the baby’s mother’s drinking Raw milk During pregnancy, health officials said.
New Mexico officials this week warned people to avoid eating unpasteurized dairy products after a death. Interest in and sales of raw milk has been growing in recent years, driven by social media and growing support from Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr. “Make America Healthy Again” movement..
State officials provided few details about the newborn, citing privacy restrictions. While investigators said they were unable to determine the exact cause of the child’s death, “the most likely source of infection is unpasteurized milk.” This conclusion is based on information collected during the investigation, including the timing of the infection and reports that the mother drank raw milk during pregnancy, an official said.
Raw milk can contain many disease-causing germs, including Listeria. This is a type of bacteria that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or fatal infection in newborns, even if the mother is only mildly ill.
Pasteurization — the process of heating milk to a temperature high enough to kill germs — can prevent infections from Listeria as well as other types of bacteria as well as viruses. Raw milk can contain germs that cause infections from bird flu, brucella, tuberculosis, salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, and E. coli. Many of these infections are especially dangerous for young children and people over 65 years of age who have weakened immune systems.
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