Keely Farms Dairy in New Smyrna Beach supplied the raw milk that sickened seven people in the state.
A sign along advertises raw milk at Keely Farms Dairy of New Smyrna Beach. The dairy was identified by the Florida Department of Health as the source of raw milk that sickened 21 people over the past six months.

A central Florida woman is suing a dairy farm and grocery store for allegedly selling raw milk that hospitalized both her and her toddler and also led to the death of her unborn baby.

Rachel Maddox of Seminole County said in the lawsuit filed Aug. 13 that she bought raw milk sourced from Keely Farms Dairy at the Wild Hare Natural Market in Longwood, Florida in early June. The lawsuit alleged that her toddler contracted disease-causing bacteria after consuming raw, unpasteurized milk and that she fell ill from her toddler while pregnant.

The complaint states that Maddox purchased the raw milk for her husband after he expressed appreciation for it, as he had grown up in Eastern Europe drinking farm-fresh milk. After purchasing the raw milk, she inquired about the label, which “said something to the effect ‘for consumption by animals’ and was told it was a technical requirement to sell ‘farm milk.’”

Maddox and her husband, who is not named in the complaint, fed the milk to their toddler, who on June 8 “began to experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, chills and resultant dehydration,” according to the complaint. The following day, the toddler was hospitalized and tested positive for both E. coli and Campylobacter.

The Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Campylobacter infections can cause diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. In severe cases, they can cause kidney failure, which is of particular concern for children, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Despite not drinking the raw milk herself, hospital testing later confirmed she also contracted Campylobacter while caring for her toddler, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges that the raw milk producer and seller are liable because the product contained Campylobacter and E. coli and failed to give adequate warnings of the product’s dangers.

It also claims that Keely Farms Dairy and Wild Hare Natural Market were negligent in preparing, testing, labeling, and selling the product, while breaching the “implied warranty of merchantability” of the raw milk. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and costs, as well as a jury trial, but does not specify an amount.

Fetus died at 19 to 20 weeks, lawsuit states

Maddox went to an Orlando hospital on June 13 after exhibiting symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and chills that led to septic shock and severe dehydration, according to the suit.

“Because she was pregnant and dehydrated, she was hospitalized for two days prior to discharge,” the suit states.

Maddox’s fetus died on June 18, and she was readmitted to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with sepsis. The complaint said an autopsy placed the age of her fetus at between 19 and 20 weeks. She was discharged, but later readmitted to another hospital when “her condition deteriorated,” the complaint said.

The lawsuit added that her toddler also spent four days hospitalized, and bloody stools led to a “fear of hemolytic uremic syndrome,” a serious disease typically caused by an E. coli infection that affects the kidneys and blood clotting system.

The child underwent surgery for intussusception − a condition commonly found in children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, where one intestine slides into the other, causing a blockage, the suit states.

The child later also experienced severe abdominal pain and remained hospitalized for two more days, and has continued to be treated as of Aug. 13, the date of the lawsuit’s filing.

21 cases of infections linked to Keely Farms Dairy in 2025

Maddox’s lawsuit comes after the Florida Department of Health on Aug. 7 announced that it had been tracking 21 cases of infections linked to Keely Farms Dairy since Jan. 24.

Six children under age 10 were among those infected by Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), the Florida health department said. Seven of the people infected by drinking the farm’s raw milk were hospitalized, while “severe complications” were found in at least two of the cases.

However, neither Keely Farms Dairy nor Wild Hare Natural Market has responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

The state’s health department defines raw milk as animal milk that has not undergone pasteurization or heat treatment to eliminate bacteria.

Keely Farms Dairy label: ‘Not for human consumption’

Keely Farms Dairy, along with some of its customers and supporters, has launched a social media campaign to defend its practices.

The dairy stated it had not been informed of any investigation by the Florida health department before the announcement linking it to 21 illnesses in Northeast and Central Florida.

In the Facebook post, the New Smyrna Beach farm notes that it sells raw milk “only as livestock feed. It is labeled not for human consumption.”

Keely Zeller Exum, owner of the dairy farm, declined to comment when reached by phone Aug. 14, saying she wants to speak with her lawyer before agreeing to any interviews.

“The Department of Health has not been to the farm or taken any samples here,” the business’s post reads. “The Department of Health has not indicated to Keely Farms that it committed any wrongdoing, so its press release has blindsided us.”

What are the dangers of raw milk?

Raw milk can be a source of foodborne illness and while contamination can be reduced, there is no guaranteed protection from harmful germs in raw milk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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

According to the Florida Department of Health, raw milk can contain disease-causing bacteria, including Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Listeria, Salmonella, and others. The bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness, ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to stomach cramps.

Contributing: Saleen Martin and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman sues Florida dairy farm claiming raw milk caused death of fetus

Reporting by Mark Harper and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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