Page 100 - summer2016

The seventy- was responsible for a death in Florida and an ratory tests of the National PulseNet database.

three-year-old illness in California from the consumption of According to CDC, “PulseNet performs DNA
Miller’s raw milk. The CDC report stated, “In fingerprinting on listeria bacteria isolated from
who died, November 2015, samples of raw chocolate milk ill people by using techniques called pulsed-field
Christa Rittel, were collected from a raw milk conference held gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome
had in Anaheim, California (the conference was sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a
national database of these DNA fingerprints to
actually the Weston A. Price Foundation con-
advanced ference where local health officials seized raw identify possible outbreaks.” 6
cancer and dairy products from Miller’s). The raw chocolate A match was made to the genetic charac-
was milk was produced by Miller’s Organic Farm. teristics of the pathogen found in the two indi-
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) viduals and the samples of the chocolate milk. A
undergoing isolated listeria from the raw chocolate milk CDC official told Gumpert that the isolates from

intensive and conducted WGS (whole genome sequenc- the “raw milk product” were “very similar” to
6
chemotherapy. ing) testing on the isolate to get more genetic the patient isolates. According to non-CDC
information about the bacteria. On January 29, experts the journalist spoke with, “very similar”
2016, FDA informed CDC that WGS determined is not the same thing as an exact match. The
that the listeria bacteria from the raw chocolate experts identify the genetic similarities visually,
milk was closely related genetically to listeria a rough science, and similarities are “common
bacteria from two people in two states who got in dozens or even hundreds of foods” accord-
sick in 2014, one from California and one from ing to one expert Gumpert spoke with. Adding
Florida.” The Florida victim was seventy-three to the skepticism is the fact that CDC records
3
years old and the California individual was show no attribution of listeriosis to fluid raw
eighty-one. milk consumption going back to at least 1972.
Journalist David Gumpert and activist Gumpert’s detective work showing the
Liz Reitzig did some great investigative work glaring weaknesses in the CDC report has not
exposing the weakness and lack of integrity in staved off further government investigation
the CDC’s claim. The seventy-three-year-old of Miller’s Organic Farm and its owner Amos
4
who died, Christa Rittel, had advanced cancer Miller. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and was undergoing intensive chemotherapy; (USDA) and the Pennsylvania Department of
she also had gastrointestinal pain. Two or three Agriculture have been on the farm since the
weeks after suffering a stroke in North Caro- report was published, and the U.S. Department
lina, she had come to Florida to stay with her of Justice is threatening legal action if Miller
son’s sister-in-law, Peggy Stevenson. Rittel had does not let USDA conduct a full inspection of
listeria in her system at the time of her death, his facility.
but according to Stevenson, who is a member
of a private association that gets food from REFERENCES
Miller's, she never drank any raw milk before 1. David Gumpert. Which Mainstream Media Will Update
W.VA Raw Milk Illness Stories? TheCompletePatient.
passing away. Stevenson told Gumpert that she com; April 13, 2016.
planned to write CDC expressing outrage on 2. John Moody. Media Mangles Raw Milk in West Vir-
how the agency used Rittel’s death to further 3. ginia. FarmToConsumer.org; March 17, 2016.
CDC. Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Raw
its anti-raw milk agenda. Milk Produced by Miller’s Organic Farm in Pennsylva-
According to Gumpert, the California 4. nia. March 18, 2016.
5
David Gumpert and Liz Reitzig. CDC Misconduct? Raw
individual was a man who consumed raw but- Milk “Death” Victim Was Treated for Advanced Cancer.
termilk; CDC obtained information on the ill- TheCompletePatient.com; March 23, 2016.
ness (a three-week bout with diarrhea) from the 5. Behind CDC’s Raw Milk Probe: More Doubts about
California Illness. TheCompletePatient.com; May 1,
man’s physician. The man is diabetic, blind and 2016.
has a pacemaker; his son-in-law consumed raw 6. David Gumpert. New CDC Raw Milk Mystery: Will
Real CA Listeriosis “Victim” Please Stand Up. The-
buttermilk without any problem. CompletePatient.com; March 31, 2016.
The two cases of listeriosis were identified
by state public health agencies based on labo-
100 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions