What diseases can children develop from consuming raw milk?

Diseases Caused by Raw Milk Consumption in Children

Children should never consume raw milk due to severe, life-threatening bacterial infections including E. coli O157-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome, Campylobacter gastroenteritis, Salmonella infections, Listeria meningitis, brucellosis, and tuberculosis. 1

Primary Bacterial Pathogens and Clinical Manifestations

E. coli O157:H7 Infections

• E. coli O157 causes severe diarrheal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), with 60% of patients developing these complications, predominantly in young children 1
• HUS represents a life-threatening complication with potential for permanent kidney damage and death 2
• Among children under 5 years consuming raw milk, 21% of E. coli O157-infected patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome 3
• Children are disproportionately affected, with 76% of those under 5 years being served raw milk from their own or a relative's farm 3

Campylobacter and Salmonella Infections

• Campylobacter species and Salmonella species are the most common pathogens causing raw milk outbreaks, resulting in severe gastroenteritis 1, 4
• These infections cause the majority of outbreak-related illnesses and hospitalizations from dairy products 4
• Clinical presentation includes severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever requiring hospitalization in many cases 1

Listeria monocytogenes Infections

• Listeria causes invasive disease in infants and newborns, resulting in pneumonia, sepsis, or meningitis in two-thirds of infected neonates 1
• Listeria infections carry a 20% risk of spontaneous abortion or stillbirth when pregnant women consume contaminated raw milk 1
• Neonatal listeriosis has extremely high morbidity and mortality rates 1

Historical Pathogens Still Present

• Brucella abortus causes brucellosis, a systemic infection with prolonged fever and multi-organ involvement 1
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission through raw milk caused hundreds of outbreaks before pasteurization became standard 1
• Streptococcal species infections remain a risk in raw milk consumption 1

Epidemiological Evidence of Disease Burden

Recent Outbreak Data

• From 1998-2009, raw milk consumption resulted in 93 illness outbreaks, 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths in the United States 1, 5
• 79% of these outbreaks involved at least one person younger than 20 years, demonstrating children bear the disproportionate burden of raw milk-related disease 1, 5
• From 1993-2006,60% of all dairy-associated foodborne illness outbreaks were linked to unpasteurized products, causing 1,571 cases, 202 hospitalizations, and 176 deaths 1, 5

Relative Risk Compared to Pasteurized Products

• Unpasteurized dairy products cause 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized products 4
• Only 3.2% of the population consumes unpasteurized milk, yet it causes 96% of illnesses from contaminated dairy products 4
• A doubling in consumption of unpasteurized milk would increase outbreak-related illnesses by 96% 4

Sporadic (Non-Outbreak) Illness Burden

• Analysis of routine surveillance data from 2001-2010 revealed that 3.7% of patients with sporadic, domestically acquired enteric infections had consumed raw milk during their exposure period 3
• This indicates the true disease burden extends far beyond documented outbreaks 3
• One death was documented among sporadic cases during this surveillance period 3

Additional Infectious Agents

Parasitic Infections

• Giardia species contamination causes prolonged diarrheal illness in children 5

Viral Infections

• Norovirus transmission through raw milk causes epidemic gastroenteritis 5
• Rare but documented viral pathogens include rabies and vaccinia virus 5

Pathogen Prevalence in Raw Milk

• Up to one-third of all raw milk samples contain pathogens, even when sourced from clinically healthy animals or milk that appears to be of good quality 6
• Contamination occurs through multiple mechanisms including direct contact with bovine fecal matter, environmental sources, and infected udders 1
• The absence of visible contamination or animal illness does not ensure safety 6

Critical Clinical Pitfalls

Misconceptions About Raw Milk Benefits

• Claims that raw milk provides superior nutrition, prevents lactose intolerance, or provides beneficial bacteria have no scientific basis and are myths 6
• The purported health benefits of raw milk have not been clearly demonstrated in evidence-based studies and do not outweigh the documented risks 1
• Pasteurized milk confers equivalent health benefits and nutritional value compared to raw milk without the infection risk 1

Vulnerable Populations

• Children, pregnant women, infants, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals face the highest risk of severe complications and death 1, 5
• Complete avoidance of unpasteurized milk and milk products is mandatory for these populations 5

Regulatory Gaps

• Despite FDA prohibition of interstate raw milk sales since 1987, at least 30 states still allow raw milk sales through various mechanisms 1
• Direct purchase, cow-share programs, and sale as "pet food" are used to circumvent regulations 7
• The sale and distribution of raw milk is illegal in Canada based on these significant health risks 2

Prevention Strategy

The only sure way to prevent raw milk-associated foodborne illness is complete avoidance of raw milk and dairy products manufactured using raw milk 7. Pasteurization (heating milk to at least 161°F for more than 15 seconds) effectively eliminates these pathogens while maintaining nutritional value 1.