The bird flu virus has been detected in raw milk from a California dairy farm sold in stores, as cases of the virus soar across the state.
Santa Clara County public health officials announced Sunday that a sample of raw milk from Fresno-based Raw Farm, the largest producer and retailer of dairy in the Golden State, from a store on November 21 tested positive for the H5 virus.
But they believe it was likely contaminated with the bird flu, H5N1, as no H5 cases have been reported in the state and it has not been identified in any cows, the Los Angeles Times reports.
‘This isn’t surprising, given how quickly H5N1 seems to be spreading among farms in California, and given the fact that these outbreaks on farms are being discovered in large part due to bulk testing on raw milk from farms,’ Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University told the outlet.
‘What we don’t know is how much risk H5N1 poses to people that drink unpasteurized, infected milk.’
Raw Farm has since issued a voluntary recall of all quart and half-gallon milk products produced on November 9 that are set to expire on Nov. 27 and have the lot ID No. 20241109.
No cases of the bird flu associated with Raw Farm products have been reported.
Still, the dairy farm is requesting stores to remove the products from the shelves and is urging consumers to return it for a free replacement or refund.
Fresno-based Raw Farm has since issued a voluntary recall of all quart and half-gallon milk products produced on November 9 that are set to expire on Nov. 27 and have the lot ID No. 20241109
The California Department of Food and Agriculture began weekly testing of raw milk in bulk tanks in August, after the bird flu infected cattle in three Central Valley dairy herds
Mark McAfee, the owner of Raw Farm, also noted that it was the first time any of his products tested positive for the virus since he started enrolling in voluntary testing in April.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture then began weekly testing of raw milk in bulk tanks in August after the bird flu infected cattle in three Central Valley dairy herds, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It will now ‘begin testing for bird flu twice per week’ at Raw Farm’s retail locations, officials announced Sunday.
Raw milk carries an inherently elevated risk of foodborne illness that the high-temperature pasteurization process helps eliminate.
Non-pasteurized milk can contain bacterial and viral pathogens including salmonella, listeria and E. coli.
In fact, Raw Farm previously had to issue a recall of its raw cheddar cheese products that were linked to an E. coli outbreak across multiple states.
It was also tied to a salmonella outbreak in October 2023 that infected at least 165 people, according to the New York Post.
Recent animal studies indicate the bird flu virus ‘could pose a risk if ingested in large enough quantities, but we have not yet seen human cases resulting from raw milk consumption,’ Nuzzo said.
‘Given that ingestion of raw milk has no credible health benefits, I personally would avoid drinking it.’
Symptoms of the virus include eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting and fever
California has now seen 29 positive H5N1 cases, all of which were reported in dairy workers – except for one case in a child in Alameda County that was reported last week.
Investigators are not sure how the child contracted the virus, but have ruled out contact with infected dairy or poultry products – including the raw milk.
There is no evidence to support that it is being transmitted from person-to-person, either.
But, since March, 402 California dairy herds have tested positive for bird flu in the state, while a total of 616 herds have tested positive nationwide.
The virus was also detected in wastewater sites in Santa Clara County, including Palo Alto, San Jose, Gilroy and Sunnyvale, and was detected in 24 of 28 California wastewater systems.
Meanwhile, only 55 cases of bird flu have been reported nationwide – meaning that more than half the cases are located in California.
Symptoms include eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting and fever.
Health officials advise anyone who thinks they may have the virus should contact their health care provider and local health department, and isolate at home.