Consumers are being warned by state health officials not to drink milk from a New Hampshire farm due to possible listeria contamination.
The state Department of Health and Human Services said people should not drink raw milk from Brookvale Pines Farm in Fremont with best if used by dates through March 22, as it might be contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
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The advisory comes after the state Department of Agriculture, Markets and Foods notified state health officials that a cow at the farm was diagnosed with a listeria infection.
Brookvale Pines Farm raw milk was sold in half gallon containers at the Brookvale Mercantile, located in Brentwood. The farm is not selling raw milk while further testing is ongoing. The milk in question was last available for purchase on Wednesday.
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“Raw milk is milk that has not undergone pasteurization, a heating process that gets rid of harmful germs,” said Iain Watt, director of the state Division of Public Health Services. “As a result, raw milk may contain bacteria like listeria, which can cause serious health concerns.”
Customers who currently have Brookvale Pines Farms raw milk with best if used by dates through March 22 in their refrigerators are advised to dispose of the product. Anyone who has consumed raw milk from Brookvale Pines Farm should monitor for symptoms of listeria infection, called listeriosis, and contact their healthcare provider if they develop severe illness.
While not everyone exposed to Listeria monocytogenes becomes ill, the bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Early symptoms of a listeria infection can include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which often resolve on their own without antibiotic treatment. Sometimes, the infection can spread beyond a person’s gut to their bloodstream, and even to the central nervous system, causing symptoms including headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
Older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe disease.
Brookvale Pines Farm is working closely with state health officials to conduct ongoing milk testing, contact customers who may have purchased raw milk from the farm, and ensure the public’s health and safety.
To report an illness after raw milk consumption, call the state Division of Public Health Services at 603-271-4496. For more information about raw milk, visit the CDC website.
