Outbreak of Campylobacter enteritis due to consumption of raw milk
McNaughton, R.D.; Leyland, R.; Mueller, L.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 126(6): 657-658
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 7066825 Document Number: 189624
An outbreak of Campylobacter enteritis in a religious camp attended by approx. 500 people is described. The camp kitchen, used by some but not all of the people, was serving raw milk purchased from a local dairy farm and transported unrefrigerated 10 km to the camp. Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni was cultured from faecal samples of 14 symptomatic people; 13 of the isolates were of 1 serogroup. A Campylobacter sp. was isolated from 1 of 3 samples of milk taken from the camp, but none was found in the camp drinking water, faeces from the dairy cows, or milk from the holding tank at the dairy. Of 214 guests returning questionnaires, 61 of the 111 who had consumed milk at the camp became ill. Of the 103 who did not consume milk, only 3 became ill. 1 of the most severely ill of all patients had consumed 0.75-1 gal of milk daily. A law against sale of unpasteurized milk in Alberta is called for to prevent such outbreaks.