According to the health department in Daviess County, Indiana, Campylobacter cases have been reported in several children younger than 2 in the Odon and Montgomery areas of the county. Some of the cases have been linked to drinking unpasteurized, or raw, milk, reports the Washington Times Herald. Bacteria such as E. coli O157, Campylobacter and Salmonella can contaminate milk during the process of milking dairy animals, including cows and goats. Animals that carry these germs are usually healthy. Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to a high enough temperature for a long enough time to kill illness-causing bacteria contained in the milk. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter can spread to the bloodstream and cause a serious life-threatening infection. A substantial proportion of the raw milk-associated disease burden falls on children. The risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk is greater for infants and young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems — such as those with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS — than it is for healthy school-aged children and adults.
