Nine Ada County residents and one in Canyon County are seriously ill after consuming raw milk contaminated with E-coli, according to the Central District Health and the Southwest District Health. That includes two children hospitalized with kidney failure.
The milk comes from R Bar H dairy in Caldwell, which has pulled its products off shelves and paused production.
CDH Epidemiologist Jaime Butler-Dawson said her team is investigating what caused the bacterial spread and is anticipating more potential cases.
“We're nervous that maybe this product is still sitting in people's fridges and that they would still drink it and get sick from it,” she said.
While raw milk is legal in Idaho, Butler-Dawson its consumption comes with considerable risks, typically avoided through pasteurization.
“Pasteurization is heating up the milk to a certain level to kill harmful bacteria,” she said. “It’s not getting rid of vitamins. It's just really killing the harmful pathogens.”
As more people turn to raw milk thinking it is a more natural and therefore safer product, she added, the risk for outbreaks increases.
“That's really not the case,” Butler-Dawson said. “You're playing roulette with your health when you drink raw milk.”
“While CDH waits for the results of testing, out of an abundance of caution, consumers who have purchased these products should avoid consumption and discard any remaining product,” the District said in a press release Thursday. “Anyone who has consumed raw milk and develops symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, or vomiting should seek medical care and report the illness to their local health district.”
Symptoms include severe diarrhea and bloody stools, which can occur within three to four days of consumption and can be life threatening, especially for vulnerable people like children, pregnant women and the elderly.
