Overview
- Health officials said the infant’s infection was most likely linked to the mother drinking unpasteurized milk during pregnancy, though the exact source was not confirmed.
- The Department of Health urged pregnant people to consume only pasteurized dairy to help prevent severe outcomes in newborns, citing advice from deputy state epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser.
- Listeria poses heightened danger in pregnancy and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or fatal neonatal infection even when maternal symptoms are mild.
- Raw milk can carry pathogens such as avian influenza, Brucella, tuberculosis, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli, while pasteurization kills harmful germs without reducing nutritional value.
- Interest in raw milk has grown in recent years, including support linked to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as federal rules bar interstate sales but states set in‑state access and prior outbreaks, including a 2025 Florida case, have been documented.