Don't be dumb!

     Our granddaughter Sophia and her brother Edwin came from Tajikistan in May of this year to work for the summer, there being little work available for American teenagers in that Central Asian capital.  They both planned to work as lifeguards for the Raleigh City pools, which often don't open because of the lack of such guards.  They arrived, did their training and then waited for their background checks, fingerprints and drug screens to clear, which they never did, by the way.

     Meanwhile, both practiced driving, and Sophia earned her North Carolina driver's license.  Edwin was just in the early stages of driving, and will have to wait til later for his driving test.  

     In general, Edwin just didn't seem very ambitious or adventurous.  He often slept in late, and sometimes walked with a bit of a limp.  We figured it was probably "just Edwin," and didn't think too much of it.

    The rest of their family arrived for the annual beach trip, and all of that faded into the general tumult.  However, when the lot of them arrived in Utah for a family reunion there, Edwin got very sick, with a temperature above 106 F, aching joints, all sorts of thing.  He ended up in the hospital for eight days on IV antibiotics, and was diagnosed with "brucellosis," with point festering infections in various joints.  His dad, our son-in-law Brandon also became ill with the same malady.  They are both now on extended (three months) combination antibiotics, and Edwin still uses a cane.  While antibiotic therapy has reduced the mortality from the infection, it is still miserable.

    Brucellosis is caused by one of a number of bacteria in the genus Brucella, which are carried by livestock, including cattle.  It is acquired by consuming raw dairy products, or by exposure to fluids from infected animals.  It can cause miscarriages in cattle - and in humans!

    Back home in Tajikistan, my daughter Ashley buys raw milk from a dairy, but is very careful to pasteurize it to the proper temperature.  However, in retrospect, the housekeeper had been buying sour cream and other items that most likely were the source of the bacteria.

    Brucella carriage in dairy cattle in the US is very uncommon.  It is prevented through a combination of vaccination of calves, strict herd biosecurity and regular surveillance and culling of infected animals.  However, cases do arise, and they are caused by eating or drinking unpasteurized dairy products.  IS THAT CLEAR??!!

     DON'T FALL FOR THE RAW MILK MISINFORMATION!!  Raw milk is NOT more nutritious, and DOES NOT carry miracle probiotics that would be destroyed by pasteurization.  Please rely on real sources, and not influencers or the anti-everything people.  If you think it would help, I'll have Edwin give you a call.

Dave