Raw milk from Cambridge farm makes at least six sick in Minnesota

Six people have gotten sick from raw dairy products from the Dennis Jaloszynski dairy farm near Cambridge, Minn., the state health department said.

The illnesses include three people with laboratory confirmation of Campylobacter jejuni bacterium, according to epidemiologists with the Minnesota Department of Health. As required under Minnesota law, the illnesses were reported to MDH by health care providers. The ill people reported that they had consumed raw milk from the Jaloszynski Farm.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture inspectors visited the farm to assess how many people had purchased the milk and then notify them of the outbreak. The owner did not have a customer list. So anyone who may have purchased or received raw milk from this farm should throw it away.
"We're concerned that people may be continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm," said Trisha Robinson, a foodborne illness epidemiologist with MDH.
"Drinking raw milk or eating products made from raw milk can expose you to a variety of pathogens that can result in anything from a few days of diarrhea to kidney failure and death," Robinson said.
Common symptoms of Campylobacter infection include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, malaise, and vomiting. Symptoms often begin 2-5 days after consumption of contaminated food. Symptoms last for about a week in most people but can last for up to three weeks in 20 percent of cases. In addition, Campylobacter infection occasionally results in complications such as arthritis and Guillain Barré syndrome, which is characterized by sudden onset of paralysis. Anyone with concerns should contact a health care provider.