Eleven people in Louisiana have fallen ill after consuming unpasteurized, raw milk, with two needing to be hospitalized.
The Louisiana Department of Health is investigating the string of people who have tested positive for infections associated with drinking unpasteurized milk since April 23.
The milk came from three different raw milk operations in the state, which officials did not identify.
Two of the 11 who tested positive for campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis, bacteria that can be found in raw milk, have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported so far. The health department did not reveal the sick patients ages or where they live.
Under Louisiana law, raw milk may only be sold or distributed for animal or pet consumption. The Louisiana Department of Health does not regulate the production of raw milk or raw milk products.
Raw milk is a known source of bacteria, including Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and campylobacter. All such pathogens are destroyed by pasteurization, which heats milk to 161 degrees F for 15 seconds.
According to research done at the University of Delaware, compared with consumers of pasteurized dairy products, people who drink raw milk are 840 times more likely to experience an illness and 45 times more likely to be hospitalized.