Unlicensed cheese-maker ordered to halt operations
By RICK OLIVO Staff Writer
The Daily Press
Monday, June 26th, 2006
Cheese curds infected with the Campylobacter bacteria are now being blamed for over 100 suspected cases of illness in places as far away as Oregon.
The contaminated cheese curds were manufactured by an unlicensed Highbridge cheese-maker using unpasteurized milk, says the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.
Wesley Lindquist was ordered to cease the production of curds and any other dairy products following the outbreak, which apparently began shortly after Memorial Day when a number of visitors were in the Ashland area for graduations and other events. Over 40 confirmed cases of illness have been identified as coming from the tainted curds, and many others from different areas of the state and even other states have also become ill.Continue Reading Bad cheese curds now responsible for over 100 illnesses

June 6, 2006
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Each year, people become ill from drinking raw milk and eating foods made from raw dairy products. Unlike most of the milk, cheese, and dairy products sold in the United States, raw milk and raw dairy products have not been heat treated or pasteurized to kill germs. Although many states outlaw the sale of these items, many people including dairy producers, farm workers and their families, and some ethnic groups continue to drink raw milk and eat foods made from raw dairy products. Several types of raw cheeses such as feta, brie, queso fresco, sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese have been illegally sold in the United States.
Germs in These Products Cause Thousands of Illnesses
Raw milk and raw dairy products may carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. When raw milk or raw milk products become contaminated, people who eat the contaminated foods can get sick. Here are a few examples of outbreaks that have been reported since 2000:Continue Reading Raw milk and cheeses: health risks are still black and white

County has 13 possible cases of bacterial illness
June 7, 2006
The Daily Press (Wisconsin)
Rick Olivo
Ashland County and state public health officials are investigating an outbreak of a diarrheal illness that is possibly related to an unpasteurized dairy product.
According to Ashland County Health Officer Terry Kramolis, one person has been confirmed with an infection by the Campylobacter bacteria, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and occasional vomiting. On rare occasions, the illness has more severe complications such as temporary arthritis or paralysis, generally after the initial symptoms have disappeared.
“Currently, 13 people from Ashland County have probable Campylobacter infections,” Kramolis said. “And several people have been hospitalized.Continue Reading Health officials investigate suspected outbreak of Campylobacter

March 30, 2006
Yakima Herald-Republic
Jessica Wambach
Since the first of the year, the Yakima Health District has seen a spike in the number of cases of a bacterial infection that causes stomach sickness.
Many of the 41 cases of campylobacteriosis so far this year might be tied to the consumption of unpasteurized milk and related cheese products, said Marianne Patnode, Communicable Disease Services coordinator at the health district.
By this time last year, only 21 people had reported having the bacterial illness characterized by diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. Symptoms usually appear within two to five days of exposure to the organism and usually last about one week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In very rare cases it can be life-threatening, but it is not transmittable from person to person.Continue Reading Bacterial illness linked to raw milk infecting more people