Yesterday between visits at ancient Minoan historical sites and churches that pre-date Columbus by 300 years, we did a bit of hiking in search of the Kri-kri, the Cretan goat. Clearly, something that looks difficult to milk.

I was reading this morning the press release from the Boulder County Department of Health that now a second child has been hospitalized with severe illness (likely hemolytic uremic syndrome) after becoming ill from drinking unpasteurized goat milk in June that came from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont. The first child was hospitalized on June 27 and remains hospitalized. As of Thursday lab tests have confirmed that milk from the Billy Goat Dairy farm was contaminated with Campylobacter and goat feces carried E. coli O157:H7. Thus far 30 people have been sickened out of the 40 families that participate in the goat share program.

Direct from Boulder County Department of Health:

Pasteurizing milk does not cause lactose intolerance and allergic reactions. Both raw milk and pasteurized milk can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to milk proteins. Pasteurization also does not reduce milk’s nutritional value.

During pasteurization, the temperature of milk is raised to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 15 seconds; it is then rapidly cooled. Pasteurization helps to extend milk’s shelf life and destroy many harmful bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria.

Campylobacter infection can cause fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting and can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, permanent paralysis, and possibly death. E. coli infection can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and vomiting. Serious cases of E. coli can lead to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, causing kidney failure and possibly death.

So far there has been only silence from the Raw Milk Industry, specifically David Gumpert at the Complete Patient and Sally Fallon at the Weston Price Foundation. My guess is that after some ten raw milk related outbreaks since January, they are keeping their heads down.