In a news release on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the New Mexico Department of Health said it believes the “most likely source of infection” was unpasteurized milk the baby’s mother consumed while she was pregnant. The state health department did not provide any additional information about the case.

Though investigators cannot identify the exact cause of the infection, the state health department said the “tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system.”

“Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns,” Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health, said in a statement.

The consumption of raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products can cause serious health risks and be especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

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The majority of commercial dairy products in the United States contain milk or cream that has been pasteurized, the FDA said. Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process in which milk is heated to a high enough temperature to destroy harmful bacteria and pathogens, according to health officials.

“Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness,” Jeff Witte, the secretary of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, said in a statement.

Risks of consuming raw milk

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized and can be a source of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While contamination can be reduced, the CDC said there is no guaranteed protection from the harmful germs that could be found in raw milk.

Despite warnings from health experts, raw milk has seen a surge in popularity across the United States in recent years. The rising trend was driven by wellness influencers and raw milk advocates who believe that the pasteurization process destroys bioactives, which are chemicals found in plants and certain foods that promote good health.

Health experts have previously told USA TODAY that the nutritional changes that happen after pasteurization are “extremely minimal.” There are also misconceptions that bacteria content in raw milk is good for your gut, but those ideas are “far-fetched,” according to registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau.

Raw milk can contain “numerous disease-causing germs,” such as Listeria, the New Mexico Department of Health said. Listeria are bacteria that can contaminate many foods and pose a significant risk to pregnant women, newborn babies, adults 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.

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The New Mexico Department of Health noted that even if a mother is only mildly ill from an infection, Listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or a deadly infection in newborn babies. The state health department added that Listeria can also cause serious infections and sometimes death in those with compromised immune systems.

Consuming products with unpasteurized milk can also expose people to other pathogens, including avian influenza, Brucella, Tuberculosis, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli. Some of these diseases are particularly dangerous for children under 5 and adults over 65, according to the state health department.

“Pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption,” the CDC said, adding that since the early 1900s, pasteurization has led to a drop in milk-borne illnesses.

Recent incidents involving raw milk consumption

Following the outbreak of bird flu and incidents in which people became sick or died, health officials across the country have repeatedly advised the public not to consume raw milk products.

In 2024, the CDC, FDA, and the Department of Agriculture urged the public not to consume raw milk or raw milk products after high levels of the H5N1 bird flu virus had been found in unpasteurized milk.

In August 2025, Florida health officials warned about the dangers of consuming unpasteurized milk after 21 people in the northeast and central parts of the state drank raw milk from the same farm and fell ill. At the time, state health officials said the 21 patients included six children under the age of 10, and at least two suffered “severe complications.”

That same month, a central Florida woman filed a lawsuit against a dairy farm and grocery store for allegedly selling raw milk that caused both her and her toddler to be hospitalized, and led to the death of her unborn baby.

Contributing: Alyssa Goldberg and Saleen Martin, USA TODAY