An infant in New Mexico died of listeria, prompting the state’s health department to warn residents against consuming raw milk and other raw dairy products. The New Mexico Department of Health said in a news release that officials believe the newborn contracted listeria as a result of unpasteurized milk their mother drank during pregnancy, though an exact cause cannot be pinpointed. Listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth or fatal infections in newborns, even if the mother was only mildly ill. The health department did not provide any other information about the child or its parents. Raw milk and unpasteurized dairy can pose a danger to young children, pregnant people, elderly people and anyone with a weakened immune system, public health officials say. Listeria is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1,250 people in the U.S. are infected with it each year, and about 172 people die from it annually. Most milk is pasteurized, which means it is briefly heated to a high enough temperature to kill germs. Raw or unpasteurized milk can contain multiple pathogens that can sicken people, including with listeria, influenza, tuberculosis, salmonella and E. coli, the health department said. Pasteurization has “greatly reduced milk-borne illnesses” since it was introduced in the early 1900s, the CDC notes. Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits “without the risks of raw milk consumption,” the agency says. New Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Jeff Witte, said the state’s dairy producers “work hard to provide safe, wholesome products and pasteurization is a vital part of that process.””Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness,” Witte said.Florida officials issued a similar warning in August 2025 after 21 people, including six children, were sickened by E. coli and campylobacter bacteria linked to raw milk from the same farm.The U.S. has seen rising interest in raw milk, fueled by a range of “wellness” influencers promoting it online. The Associated Press reported in 2024 that sales for the product appeared to be on the rise.
