Campylobacter Detected in Raw Milk in South Dakota

A sample of raw milk from a South Dakota company has tested positive for Campylobacter, prompting a recall of the product.  The South Dakota Department of Agriculture issued a press release Tuesday warning consumers who purchased unpasteurized milk from Black Hills Milk – a family-owned operation in Belle Fourche, SD – to return or discard the product because it may be contaminated with Campylobacter.  The milk subject to this warning was sold at a retail outlet in Spearfish, SD (SDDA did not name the store), at the Black Hills Farmers Market at Founder’s Park in Rapid City, and at other locations throughout the Black Hills, according to the SDDA press release.  The sale of raw milk is legal in South Dakota with a state permit. Dairies selling raw milk in the state are inspected once or twice a year depending on grade of milk and are required to provide results of a monthly quality analysis, according to SDDA.  Symptoms of Campylobacter infection usually appear between one and seven days after exposure, and include lethargy, abdominal pain, diarrhea that is often bloody and occasionally fever. Those who think they may have contracted a Campylobacter infection should contact their healthcare provider.  This article has been corrected – it originally misreported that pasteurized milk was being recalled.