Emails, Chris Van Deusen, press officer, Texas Department of State Health Services, Sept. 20, 2016
9:27 a.m.
Sept. 20, 2016
In 2015, raw milk was the suspected source of at least 10 reported cases of illness in Texas. As is frequently the case with foodborne illness investigations, we weren’t able to test the milk consumed by the people who got sick, so we can’t say 100 percent definitively that raw milk was the cause. Often, by the time someone gets sick and an investigation occurs, the food has been eaten or discarded, so there’s no longer product available to test.
Also, it’s worth noting that only a small percentage of foodborne illnesses are diagnosed and reported, so there may be additional cases out there that we don’t ever find out about. In case you want to dig into that more, CDC has done some modelling and estimates of the true number of cases of various foodborne illnesses: https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/pdfs/scallan-estimated-illnesses-foodborne-pathogens.pdf.
Chris
Chris Van Deusen
Press Officer
DSHS
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 9:57 AM
To: Van Deusen,Chris (DSHS)
Subject: Following up
Can you provide more detail about the 10 cases?
Separately, our search yesterday of CDC’s database of foodborne outbreaks indicates Texas had two suspected outbreaks and seven illnesses (but no deaths) attributed to raw milk--all of that in March and April 2015.
??
G.
11:04 a.m.
That’s as specific as we’d get. I’m not aware of any local notices.
Chris Van Deusen
Press Officer
DSHS
From: Selby, Gardner
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 10:48 AM
To: Van Deusen,Chris (DSHS)
Subject: RE: Following up
At what date would the information about the reported and suspected raw milk illnesses have been public? Put another way, at what date did DSHS have that information available to anyone interested including reporters and legislators?
Thanks again.
G.
From: Van Deusen,Chris (DSHS)
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 11:13 AM
To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Subject: RE: Following up
There’s not a specific date. The information is available once it’s entered into our reporting system by our central or regional offices or by the local health departments.
Chris Van Deusen
Press Officer
DSHS
From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 11:53 AM
To: Van Deusen,Chris (DSHS)
Subject: RE: Following up
Would it have been entered by July 2016?
11:55 a.m.
Yes
Chris Van Deusen
Press Officer
DSHS