State Tests Find Listeria Contamination in Raw Milk From South Dakota Dairy Farm

Bottled raw milk from Jerseydale Farms near Brookings has tested positive for Listeria, according to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.

The contaminated bottled raw milk was sold in the Brookings area, which includes the South Dakota State University campus. Anyone who purchased the bottled raw milk should immediately discarded or returned the product, the department said.

State bottled raw milk rules in South Dakota require permits for dairies selling raw milk directly to consumers. Inspections are required at least annually depending on grade of milk and dairies must also submit samples monthly for bacteria and residue testing.

The unpasteurized bottled milk purchased in recent days from Jerseydale Farms may contain the potentially deadly bacteria.

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems, the South Dakota Department of Health said. Listeria infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions can occur.

Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating over $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 122,000 South Dakotans.

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