More than 160 people in California have fallen ill due to Salmonella infection traced to a raw (unpasteurized) milk product produced by a specific dairy farm, according to the latest issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the outbreak lasted from September 2023 to March 2024. The first cases were identified after nine individuals in California reported food poisoning following the consumption of raw milk from a specific brand.

This is one of the largest recorded raw milk–related Salmonella outbreaks in recent years in the U.S., the report emphasizes. By comparison, between 2009 and 2021, the U.S. recorded 16 similar incidents, each affecting between 2 and 33 people.

The name of the farm responsible for the outbreak was not disclosed, but the report stresses the importance of regular sanitary inspections and raising consumer awareness about the risks of raw milk, which is not pasteurized and may contain dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.