Raw milk causes small outbreak of illness in Salt Lake County
Several people have become sick in Salt Lake County after drinking raw milk, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.
Ten cases have been confirmed so far of campylobacteriosis, an illness caused by the bacteria called Campylobacter. Eight of those people confirmed with health officials they drank raw, unpasteurized milk prior to their illness.
Raw milk is animal milk that hasn’t been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria, including Campylobacter.
Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, and usually start two to five days after infection. Most people will get better on their own, but some may need antibiotic treatment.
Public health officials warn that drinking raw milk can be dangerous and advise Utahns to only consume pasteurized dairy products. Grocery stores are only allowed to sell pasteurized dairy products, and only 16 Utah farms are licensed to sell raw milk.
If you do choose to drink raw milk, health officials suggest heating it to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds, then letting it cool before consuming, and keeping raw milk or raw milk products refrigerated at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This can help decrease the chance of getting sick.
The source of the raw milk in the outbreak remains under investigation, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.
'Spanish Live On Playbook' provides suicide prevention resources
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced a first-of-its-kind Spanish suicide prevention training guide for World Mental Health Day on Tuesday.
The guide, called “Spanish Live On Playbook,” includes resources and eight short video lessons that are free and available on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The resources are meant not just for those needing current help, but also to help Utahns recognize important signs of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts in their friends and families. You can find the playbook here.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 90% of Utahns have been impacted by suicide in some way. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the 988 hotline.
All Utah state flag submissions now available to view online
Every submission for the new Utah state flag is now available to see online. Over 7,000 submissions were made last year for the flag redesign, with designs coming from every county in the state.
They’ve all been archived online with the J. Willard Marriott Digital Library at the University of Utah and the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, with anyone able to view them for free.
According to the Marriott Library, 5,000 of the designs were submitted by students. More than 2,5000 hundred designs featured beehives and nearly 2,000 featured mountains. Rarer features involved ones like bison, Olympics 2002 and even fry sauce.
You can find all 7,031 submissions here.
