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Bird Flu Detected in Raw Milk, Statewide Recall Issued

Healthcare

Business Honor
25 November, 2024

Avian influenza has been found in a raw milk product in California, prompting a recall and continued monitoring

Avian influenza, also known as "bird flu," has been detected in a raw milk sample produced by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The affected product is cream top, whole raw milk, bearing lot code 2024110, which was still on sale at retailers when the testing took place. Following the request by the state, the producer issued a recall of the product.

The best-before date of the affected lot is November 27, 2024, so some consumers may still be having the product in their homes. No one has reportedly fallen ill from this lot although the symptoms of bird flu can take up to several days to appear after exposure. The World Health Organization says that symptoms usually start appearing within 2 to 5 days but can occur within a longer period of 17 days.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned that the bird flu symptoms entail fever, chills, eye irritation, and other respiratory infections such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. The CDPH asks consumers who have bought the infected product to return it to stores or discard it. The department continues to team up with retailers to ensure the infected product is pulled back from the shelves.

Although no further evidence of bird flu was confirmed at the company's farms, the CDPH continues monitoring and testing for the farm's milk twice a week. Meanwhile, the department explained that pasteurized milk is safe because heat destroys bacteria and viruses during the process. What this only means is that raw milk does not undergo such treatment.

Bird flu has been experienced both in dairy cow herds and in poultry farms, with more than 400 dairy herds hit up to November 22. Twenty-nine human cases have been reported, most of them having direct contact with infected stock. Recently, the CDC confirmed a case of H5N1 bird flu in a California child with no known livestock contact.