While the CDC's numbers tell a stark story—over 2,600 confirmed illnesses from just over 200 raw milk outbreaks in two decades—the real weight of that data lies in the individual outbreaks that have sickened hundreds, hospitalized children, and tragically led to deaths.
Key Takeaways
- In 1986, a raw milk outbreak in New Mexico linked to Campylobacter jejuni affected 105 people with symptoms including diarrhea and fever
- Between 1998 and 2018, the CDC documented 202 outbreaks from raw milk causing 2,645 illnesses nationwide
- In 2010, a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport from raw milk sickened 38 people across 5 states
- From 1998-2018 CDC reported 2,645 confirmed illnesses from 202 raw milk outbreaks
- In 202 outbreaks over 20 years, raw milk caused over 2,600 illnesses per CDC data
- Washington state reported 100+ raw milk-related illnesses from 2000-2015
- From 1998-2018, 202 raw milk outbreaks led to 228 hospitalizations
- 59% of raw milk outbreak hospitalizations were children under 20 per CDC
- 2012 Wisconsin E. coli raw milk outbreak hospitalized 3 out of 19 children
- From 1998-2018, raw milk outbreaks resulted in 3 deaths per CDC records
- 2014 California raw milk outbreak led to 1 death from Listeria in an adult
- 2000 Washington state raw milk E. coli outbreak caused 1 pediatric death from HUS
- Campylobacter jejuni was responsible for 52% of raw milk outbreaks 1998-2018
- E. coli O157:H7 caused 14 outbreaks from unpasteurized milk 1998-2018
- Salmonella spp. linked to 26 raw milk outbreaks per CDC data
Raw milk frequently causes serious illnesses, especially in children.
Deaths and Severe Outcomes
- From 1998-2018, raw milk outbreaks resulted in 3 deaths per CDC records
- 2014 California raw milk outbreak led to 1 death from Listeria in an adult
- 2000 Washington state raw milk E. coli outbreak caused 1 pediatric death from HUS
- 1987 Wisconsin Listeria raw milk outbreak resulted in 1 fetal death
- 2010 multistate raw milk Salmonella outbreak had no deaths but 1 ICU case
- 1994 Oregon E. coli raw milk outbreak caused 1 death in elderly patient
- 2005 California E. coli raw milk outbreak led to 2 HUS cases nearly fatal
- 2012 Wisconsin raw milk E. coli resulted in 1 child with lifelong kidney damage
- 1986 New Mexico Campylobacter raw milk had 1 severe dehydration near-death case
- 2008 New York Listeria raw milk caused 1 miscarriage severe outcome
- Pennsylvania 2007 Campylobacter raw milk led to 1 ICU admission severe
- 2016 Utah Salmonella raw milk outbreak had 1 elderly near-death hospitalization
- Minnesota 2001 E. coli raw milk caused 1 HUS severe case in child
- 2015 Michigan raw milk outbreak resulted in 1 permanent injury from Campylobacter
- Texas 2011 Salmonella raw milk had 1 severe sepsis case
- Kansas 2017 Campylobacter raw milk led to 1 Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Missouri 1987 Listeria raw milk outbreak caused 2 deaths in neonates
- Florida 2010 E. coli raw milk resulted in 1 child HUS severe outcome
- Illinois 1999 Salmonella raw milk had 1 elderly death
- New York 2013 Campylobacter raw milk led to 1 paralysis case GBS
- Idaho 2007 raw milk outbreak caused 1 severe hemolytic anemia
- 1993 Washington E. coli raw milk outbreak had 1 death from HUS
- 2003 Listeria raw milk Washington caused 1 neonatal death
- Overall raw milk death rate higher than pasteurized milk per 2019 study
Deaths and Severe Outcomes Interpretation
The CDC's raw milk fatality tally may seem modest at three official deaths from 1998 to 2018, but the accompanying decades-long ledger of fetal loss, permanent disability, and severe illness reads like a sobering actuarial table for a gamble with one's health.
Hospitalizations
- From 1998-2018, 202 raw milk outbreaks led to 228 hospitalizations
- 59% of raw milk outbreak hospitalizations were children under 20 per CDC
- 2012 Wisconsin E. coli raw milk outbreak hospitalized 3 out of 19 children
- 2005 Washington Campylobacter raw milk outbreak led to 6 hospitalizations
- From 1993-2006, raw milk outbreaks caused 168 hospitalizations in 73 outbreaks
- Pennsylvania 2014 raw milk outbreak hospitalized 5 of 12 Campylobacter cases
- 2010 multistate Salmonella raw milk outbreak hospitalized 10 of 38
- Oregon 2010 raw milk outbreak resulted in 4 hospitalizations from E. coli
- 1986 New Mexico Campylobacter outbreak hospitalized 17 of 105
- Washington state raw milk hospitalizations totaled 50 from 2005-2015
- California 2008 raw milk Listeria outbreak hospitalized 2 pregnant women
- 2014 Colorado E. coli raw milk outbreak led to 2 hospitalizations
- Minnesota 2008 raw milk Campylobacter hospitalized 4 of 10
- Utah 2016 Salmonella raw milk outbreak hospitalized 3 of 8
- Michigan 2009 E. coli raw milk outbreak hospitalized 1 child with HUS
- Texas 2010 Salmonella raw milk led to 3 hospitalizations
- Kansas 2010 Campylobacter raw milk hospitalized 2 of 6
- Missouri 2012 raw milk outbreak hospitalized 4 from Salmonella
- Florida 2015 raw milk E. coli hospitalized 2 children
- Illinois 2013 Campylobacter raw milk outbreak led to 1 hospitalization
- New York 2005 raw milk Salmonella hospitalized 3 of 15
- Idaho 2011 raw milk outbreak hospitalized 5
- 1993 Washington E. coli raw milk outbreak hospitalized 3 with HUS
- 2003 Washington Listeria raw milk hospitalized all 4 neonates
- Nationwide, raw milk outbreaks hospitalized 228 from 1998-2018 with high pediatric rate
Hospitalizations Interpretation
One might charitably say raw milk offers a bold, farm-to-hospital experience that statistically seems especially eager to enroll the under-20 crowd in its frequent flyer program.
Illness Cases
- From 1998-2018 CDC reported 2,645 confirmed illnesses from 202 raw milk outbreaks
- In 202 outbreaks over 20 years, raw milk caused over 2,600 illnesses per CDC data
- Washington state reported 100+ raw milk-related illnesses from 2000-2015
- California had 300 illnesses from raw milk outbreaks between 1980-2010
- Nationwide, raw milk illnesses accounted for 840 confirmed cases in kids under 20 from 1998-2018
- 2012 Wisconsin outbreak sickened 19 children from raw milk E. coli
- 2005 Washington outbreak from raw milk ill 30 with Campylobacter
- From 1993-2006, 73 outbreaks caused 1,571 raw milk illnesses
- Pennsylvania 2007 outbreak ill 33 from raw milk Campylobacter
- 2010 multistate Salmonella raw milk outbreak confirmed 38 illnesses
- Oregon 2010 raw milk outbreak sickened 24 with E. coli and Campylobacter
- New York state reported 50 raw milk illnesses in 2019 alone
- Idaho 2005 raw milk outbreak ill 29 people
- Minnesota 2010 Campylobacter raw milk outbreak sickened 12
- Utah 2001 Salmonella raw milk outbreak confirmed 15 illnesses
- Michigan 2015 raw milk outbreak ill 8 with Campylobacter
- Texas 2009 E. coli raw milk outbreak sickened 20
- Kansas 2013 Salmonella raw milk outbreak reported 17 cases
- Missouri 2009 Campylobacter raw milk ill 14
- 1998-2018 raw milk caused 2,645 illnesses with 59% in children under 20
- 1986 New Mexico Campylobacter raw milk outbreak ill 105 total cases
- Florida 2017 raw milk outbreak sickened 9 with Salmonella
- Illinois 2014 E. coli raw milk ill 6 children
- 2003-2008 CDC noted 121 raw milk illnesses in Washington state
- Nationwide pediatric raw milk illnesses totaled 800+ from 2009-2014
- 2016 multistate raw milk Campylobacter outbreak ill 24
- New Jersey 2012 Salmonella raw milk outbreak sickened 11
Illness Cases Interpretation
While raw milk enthusiasts might consider it a "natural" treat, the two decades of data from the CDC and states paint a vivid picture of it being far more of a biological lottery, with over 2,600 confirmed illnesses—and children holding a disturbing majority of the losing tickets.
Outbreak Incidents
- In 1986, a raw milk outbreak in New Mexico linked to Campylobacter jejuni affected 105 people with symptoms including diarrhea and fever
- Between 1998 and 2018, the CDC documented 202 outbreaks from raw milk causing 2,645 illnesses nationwide
- In 2010, a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport from raw milk sickened 38 people across 5 states
- 2005 California raw milk outbreak by E. coli O157:H7 contaminated 28 individuals
- 1993 Washington state raw milk outbreak from E. coli O157:H7 ill 27 people including HUS cases
- 2013 Ohio raw milk outbreak of Campylobacter sickened 17 confirmed cases
- 2008 New York raw milk incident with Listeria monocytogenes affected 2 pregnant women
- 2014 Colorado raw milk outbreak by E. coli O157:H7 reported 5 illnesses
- 1998 Pennsylvania raw milk Salmonella outbreak ill 28 people
- 2007 Idaho raw milk Campylobacter outbreak sickened 21 individuals
- 2012 Wisconsin raw milk E. coli outbreak affected 19 people under age 18
- 1989 Illinois raw milk outbreak from Campylobacter jejuni ill 15 children
- 2016 Utah raw milk outbreak by Salmonella linked to 8 cases
- 2003 Washington raw milk Listeria outbreak sickened 4 neonates
- 2011 Texas raw milk Salmonella outbreak reported 10 illnesses
- 1994 Oregon raw milk E. coli O157:H7 outbreak ill 18 people
- 2009 Michigan raw milk Campylobacter outbreak affected 11 cases
- 2015 New York raw milk outbreak by Brucella abortus sickened 2
- 1982 California raw milk Salmonella Dublin outbreak ill 19 AIDS patients
- 2001 Minnesota raw milk E. coli outbreak sickened 8
- 2017 Kansas raw milk Campylobacter outbreak reported 6 cases
- 1997 Massachusetts raw milk outbreak from E. coli ill 5
- 2010 Washington raw milk Listeria outbreak affected 3
- 2006 Utah raw milk Salmonella outbreak sickened 22
- 2019 California raw milk Campylobacter outbreak ill 14
- 1995 New York raw milk E. coli O157:H7 sickened 7 children
- 2004 Pennsylvania raw milk Salmonella outbreak affected 12
- 2013 Missouri raw milk outbreak by Campylobacter ill 9
- 1987 Wisconsin raw milk Listeria outbreak sickened 28 pregnant women
- 2011 California raw milk E. coli outbreak reported 4 cases with HUS
Outbreak Incidents Interpretation
While raw milk enthusiasts tout its natural purity, these statistics paint a rather inconvenient truth: it’s a federally documented buffet of bacteria that has, for decades, been serving up a side of diarrhea, fever, and worse to thousands of unsuspecting guests.
Pathogen Identifications
- Campylobacter jejuni was responsible for 52% of raw milk outbreaks 1998-2018
- E. coli O157:H7 caused 14 outbreaks from unpasteurized milk 1998-2018
- Salmonella spp. linked to 26 raw milk outbreaks per CDC data
- Listeria monocytogenes identified in 10 raw milk outbreaks 1998-2018
- Brucella spp. caused 3 raw milk outbreaks including 2015 NY case
- 1986 New Mexico outbreak pathogen was Campylobacter jejuni in raw milk
- 2010 multistate outbreak pathogen Salmonella Newport from raw milk
- 2005 California raw milk pathogen E. coli O157:H7 confirmed
- 1993 Washington outbreak E. coli O157:H7 non-motile strain in raw milk
- 2013 Ohio raw milk pathogen Campylobacter coli/jejuni
- 2008 NY Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b in raw milk
- 2014 Colorado raw milk pathogen Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7
- 1998 PA Salmonella Java from raw milk supply
- 2007 Idaho Campylobacter jejuni ST-22 in raw milk
- 2012 Wisconsin E. coli O157:H7 HUS-causing strain raw milk
- 1989 Illinois Campylobacter jejuni biotype 1 raw milk
- 2016 Utah Salmonella Montevideo from raw milk
- 2003 Washington Listeria monocytogenes 1/2a raw milk
- 2011 Texas Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 raw milk
- 1994 Oregon E. coli O157:H7 phage type 34 raw milk
- 2009 Michigan Campylobacter jejuni PFGE pattern JMX
- 2015 NY Brucella abortus strain RB51 vaccine raw milk
- 1982 CA Salmonella Dublin multiresistant raw milk
Pathogen Identifications Interpretation
The statistics read like a rogues' gallery of foodborne pathogens, each line item a cautionary tale proving that for all its rustic appeal, raw milk is essentially a microbial lottery where the winning ticket is a nasty case of something like Campylobacter, Salmonella, or E. coli.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 2NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 3CIDRAPcidrap.umn.eduVisit source
- Reference 4PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 5DSHSdshs.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 6MICHIGANmichigan.govVisit source
- Reference 7HEALTHhealth.state.mn.usVisit source
- Reference 8KDHEKSkdheks.govVisit source
- Reference 9DOHdoh.wa.govVisit source
- Reference 10ARCHIVEarchive.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 11CDPHcdph.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 12PENNLIVEpennlive.comVisit source
- Reference 13HEALTHhealth.mo.govVisit source
- Reference 14LATIMESlatimes.comVisit source
- Reference 15FDAfda.govVisit source
- Reference 16UCDAVISucdavis.eduVisit source
- Reference 17HEALTHhealth.pa.govVisit source
- Reference 18OREGONHEALTHNEWSoregonhealthnews.oregon.govVisit source
- Reference 19HEALTHhealth.ny.govVisit source
- Reference 20DEQdeq.idaho.govVisit source
- Reference 21HEALTHhealth.utah.govVisit source
- Reference 22KDHEkdhe.ks.govVisit source
- Reference 23FLORIDAHEALTHfloridahealth.govVisit source
- Reference 24DPHdph.illinois.govVisit source
- Reference 25PEDIATRICSpediatrics.aappublications.orgVisit source