Raw milk likely cause of infant’s death, health officials say

State health officials announced Tuesday that unpasteurized milk consumed by a pregnant New Mexico woman is the likely cause of the death of her newborn child who died of a bacterial listeria infection.

The New Mexico Department of Health is warning pregnant New Mexicans to avoid drinking raw milk, which can carry a variety of disease-causing germs, including listeria.

"Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist.

Pasteurization briefly heats milk to a high enough temperature to kill germs.

Health officials haven’t identified the source of the listeria infection with certainty but believe the likely source is unpasteurized milk consumed by the mother during pregnancy, the agency said in a statement.

"While investigators cannot pinpoint the exact cause, the tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system," the statement said.

State law allows for raw milk sales with specific labeling and inspection requirements.

Both the Albuquerque City Council and the Bernalillo County Commission voted in 2023 to allow the sale of raw milk countywide. The Albuquerque ordinance requires grocery stores selling raw milk to get a sushi-grade permit, which requires additional inspections.

State law requires raw milk producers to be inspected at least twice every six months.

Raw milk can contain listeria, which is a bacterium that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or fatal infection in newborns, even if the mother is only mildly ill.

“New Mexico’s dairy producers work hard to provide safe, wholesome products and pasteurization is a vital part of that process,” Jeff Witte, New Mexico secretary of Agriculture, said in a statement. “Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness."

Drinking raw milk products also can expose people to avian influenza, brucella, tuberculosis, salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium and E. coli.

Diseases caused by these pathogens are particularly dangerous for children under 5 and adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems.