Politicians sick after drinking raw milk to celebrate legalising raw milk

Lawmakers say it's just a coincidence, as a stomach bug is also going round

Raw milk is unpasteurised and can contain dangerous bacteria and parasites. Proponents of raw milk says it has a higher nutritional content than pasteurised milk (Sandra Mu/Getty Images)

Politicians in West Virginia became sick after drinking raw milk to celebrate new legislation which lifted a ban on raw milk.

However, some politicians say it's just a coincidence, as there's a stomach bug also going around.

Representative Pat McGeehan says he doesn't think the illnesses were caused by the raw milk.

"I'm not feeling that great," Mr McGeehan told local news station WSAZ. "I think it's probably just some sort of bad stomach virus.

"There's definitely some other colleagues that have similar problems that I've been experiencing."

The representative says he drank a small amount of the milk given to him by Scott Cadle, a sponsor of the raw milk bill.

Raw milk is unpasteurised and can contain dangerous bacteria and parasites. Proponents of raw milk says it has a higher nutritional content than pasteurised milk.

"There definitely shouldn't be a law against allowing people to do what they want within the framework of the rule of law," Mr McGeehan added.

"Just be careful."