By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Earlier this week, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball warned consumers in Columbia County and the surrounding area not to consume unpasteurized raw milk from Foundation for Ag Integrity dba Churchtown Dairy due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination.

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Foundation for Ag Integrity dba Churchtown Dairy is located at 357 County Route 12, Hudson, NY 12534. To date, no illnesses have been reported to the Department associated with this product.

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According to officials, a sample of the milk collected by an inspector from the Department was discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  On July 25, 2019, the producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result.  Further laboratory testing, completed on July 30, 2019, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the raw milk sample.  The producer is now prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of harmful bacteria.

The Department recommends that any consumers who purchased raw milk from Foundation for Ag Integrity dba Churchtown Dairy immediately dispose of it and call them at (518) 851-2042.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infections can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.