BATON ROUGE — Eleven people have become ill, with two people being hospitalized, after consuming raw, unpasteurized milk, the Louisiana Department of Health said Tuesday.

Since April 23, the people experiencing illness have tested positive for campylobacteriosis and/or cryptosporidiosis, infectious intestinal diseases. The people who became ill all reported consuming raw milk from three different milking operations in Louisiana.

"Under Louisiana law, raw milk may only be sold or distributed for animal or pet consumption. Louisiana Department of Health does not regulate the production of raw milk or raw milk products," LDH said. 

According to LDH, raw milk bypasses the pasteurization process, which is the heating of milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time to eliminate disease-causing germs. Pasteurization does not eliminate the nutritional benefits of milk, health officials added.

The symptoms of campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and/or vomiting, with them starting to appear within two to ten days after exposure and can last up to three weeks. 

Under Louisiana law, raw milk may only be sold or distributed for animal or pet consumption. Louisiana Department of Health does not regulate the production of raw milk or raw milk products.