The Health Department has confirmed five cases of Campylobacter bacteria infection in people who consumed the milk from a business's farm in central Pennsylvania.
State officials are urging consumers to discard a central Pennsylvania business’s raw milk, some of which is believed to have been sold in the Lehigh Valley.
The Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health said today in a news release that the milk was produced by The Family Cow in Chambersburg, Franklin County. The departments said in a joint statement that the milk potentially has a bacterial contamination.
The Health Department has confirmed five cases of Campylobacter bacteria infection in people who consumed the milk from the business’s farm, the statement says.
Based on the reported illnesses, the Agriculture Department collected samples from the farm and received positive tests for the bacteria.
Campylobacter bacteria affect the intestinal tract and sometimes the bloodstream and other organs. It is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis, which can include diarrhea and vomiting. Patients may not require specific medical treatment unless they become severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the gastrointestinal tract.
The Family Cow, owned and operated by Edwin Shank, sells directly to consumers in an on-farm retail store and at drop-off locations and retail stores around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, as well as south central Pennsylvania, according to the statement.
Shank has been ordered to stop the sale of all raw milk until further notice.
The packaged raw milk is sold under The Family Cow label in plastic gallon, half-gallon, quart and pint containers. It is labeled as “raw milk.”
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized.
For information, visit www.health.state.pa.us or call 877-PA-HEALTH.