Bird flu virus detected in raw milk in California
By Sam Tupper, CNN
(CNN) — Bird flu virus has been found in a batch of raw milk sold in California, and consumers should not drink it, the state Department of Public Health warned Sunday.
The agency said that no illnesses have been associated with the lot of raw milk and that pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and due to the ongoing spread of bird flu in dairy cows, poultry, and sporadic human cases, consumers should not consume any of the affected raw milk,” it said.
Raw Farm LLC of Fresno County, California, recalled quart and half-gallon sizes of its raw milk with the lot ID of 20241109 and a best-by date of November 27.
On Thursday, the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory was testing raw milk products from retail stores when one of the samples tested positive for H5 bird flu. The county contacted stores selling raw milk on Friday and recommended that they pull the raw milk while the sample was tested further. The test was independently verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory on Saturday.
The company said that it is using its standard safety procedures to monitor cows for illness and that milk from the recalled lot should be off of store shelves. Raw Farm said in a news release that “All results performed by RAW FARM and all of the official tests by CDFA (the California State agency that regulates and tests Raw Farm products) have been NEGATIVE.”
CNN has reached out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for comment.
“None of our supply has halted, changed or been paused,” Kaleigh Stanziani, vice president of marketing at Raw Farm, said in a video posted on YouTube. “We are not going to be adjusting any of our routes. We just want to make sure that we’re always an abundance of caution at all times.”
Raw milk is not pasteurized and can carry disease-causing pathogens. Public health officials have long warned against drinking raw milk due to risk of illness and death, and it’s not allowed to be sold between states. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, there’s no scientific evidence that raw milk helps with illnesses or allergies.
As bird flu has spread among poultry and cattle in the US this year, raw milk has seen a new wave of interest. It also has some high-profile supporters, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services, who has said he drinks it.
In June, the FDA urged states to warn the public more strongly about the dangers of raw milk and to use their regulatory authorities to stop the sale of raw milk in areas where dairy herds have tested positive for H5N1.
The new recall comes amid bird flu outbreaks in wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle. There’s no evidence of person-to-person spread.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 55 human cases of bird flu in 2024, including 29 in California. Most are linked to farm workers who have been in contact with sick animals. Last week, the CDC announced the first US case of bird flu identified in a child in California; an investigation into how the child was exposed is underway.
Bird flu symptoms in humans include typical flu-like symptoms such as eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, trouble swallowing or fever. The California health department encourages anyone who has consumed the product and notices symptoms to alert their health-care provider or local health department immediately.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
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