... That said, twenty years ago I used raw milk products. But I knew the producers and I knew the cows. The cows were monitored by state inspectors and the milk rooms and processing rooms were monitored by the county inspectors.

I've had no contact with cattle or unpasturized milk products in twenty years.

Where I grew up, every cow had to be vaccinated against brucellosis, no exceptions, no religious exemptions, end of discussion. The rule applied to all cows whether or not they sold the milk.

... and the other working for USAID with water buffalo in Indonesia.

Go figure. I almost gave up with it. It was more enervating than cancer. It has so many symptoms - I began to feel maybe it was psychosomatic.

Thank G*D for my primary care physician and the contagious disease specialist. It went on so long I felt maybe I was just aging quickly.

big issue when it comes to listeriosis. Not because shipping dairy doesn't add danger (it may, with poor temp control), but because avoiding shipping doesn't eliminate it -- one can have a perfect cold chain from producer to table and Listeria monocytogenes will still multiply throughout. That's part of why pasteurization is such a big deal from a public health/epidemiology standpoint, because refrigeration isn't enough by itself when it comes to Listeria.

But careless handling of pasteurized milk can allow it to get going. The bacteria can be found in many places, so more storage, more having, etc. give it a better chance to flourish.

We are not baby cows. (At least, I ain't.)

No big deal.