California health authorities issued a warning regarding contaminated raw milk linked to avian influenza. The state’s Department of Public Health announced the detection of the H5N1 virus in a second batch of 'cream top' raw milk from Raw Farm LLC, which has a code of 20241119 and a sell-by date of December 7.
This follows a previous recall of raw milk products from the same batch but with a different expiration date of November 27. The contamination was identified during routine testing conducted by the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory.
As of now, there are no reported illnesses associated with the affected products. However, officials advised consumers to refrain from using the contaminated raw milk and return any remaining products to the point of purchase.
The state continues to investigate the connection between the detections of avian influenza in raw milk and the ongoing spread of the virus among dairy cattle, poultry, and sporadic human cases. Consumers are strongly urged to avoid the affected raw milk.
The Department emphasized that pasteurized milk remains safe for consumption, as pasteurization effectively kills the avian flu virus along with harmful bacteria such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
This warning comes shortly after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a child tested positive for avian influenza in Alameda County. California has reported 29 human cases of avian flu, accounting for more than half of the 55 confirmed cases nationwide this year.
Avian influenza was first detected in U.S. dairy cattle in March and has since spread significantly, with California experiencing the most infections, affecting over 435 dairy herds. Testing has also revealed high levels of the virus in milk from infected cows.
Surveys conducted by the FDA and USDA in May indicated that around 20% of pasteurized milk samples contained traces of the virus, although none of the 297 samples tested contained live infectious viruses.
There is currently no evidence that individuals have contracted avian influenza from consuming raw milk. Most reported cases in the U.S. this year involved individuals in the dairy or poultry industries who developed mild illness after close contact with infected animals.
A 2022 FDA study found that approximately 4.4% of U.S. adults reported consuming raw milk at least once a year, with about 1% consuming it weekly. Advocates for raw milk often cite health benefits, superior taste, and support for local farmers as reasons for their preference.