Campylobacter, E. coli and Cryptosporidium.

It has been a bad few months for raw milk hucksters and even worse for their customers.

• January to April – Campylobacter in raw milk from Organic Pastures in California – 10 Ill.

• April – E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium in raw milk from Foundation Farm in Oregon – 21 Ill including 4 with HUS.

• March to April – E. coli in raw milk from Stroupe Farm in Missouri – 14 Ill including 1 with HUS.

• March – Campylobacter in raw milk from Claravale Farm in California – 9 Ill.

• January to February – Campylobacter in raw milk from Family Cow Dairy in Pennsylvania – 80 Ill.

• January – Campylobacter in raw goat milk from unnamed dairy in Kansas – 18 Ill.

Raw Dairy Outbreaks and Recalls from 1998 to the present:

119 total outbreaks

86 fluid milk: 18 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)

2,147 total illnesses, 2 deaths

1,514 fluid milk-related illnesses, no deaths: 249 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)

A risky elixir! For the facts about raw milk, see Real Raw Milk Facts.