The bird flu virus was found in a batch of raw milk sold in California, USA. The state Department of Public Health warned on Sunday (23) that consumers should stop consuming the product.
The agency said no illnesses were associated with the batch of milk, but said pasteurized milk remains the safest to drink.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and due to the continued spread of avian influenza in dairy cows, poultry, and sporadic human cases, consumers should not consume any affected raw milk,” the US agency said.
Raw milk, which does not undergo pasterization — a process in which the milk is subjected to temperatures above 70º — can carry disease-causing pathogens. Public health officials warn against consuming raw milk due to the risk of illness and death. Because of this, the sale of the product is not permitted in American states.
In June, the FDA had asked states to warn the public more strongly about the dangers of raw milk and use their regulatory authorities to stop sales of the product in areas where dairy herds have tested positive for H5N1.
Last 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 next day, the county contacted the stores that sold the dairy product and recommended that they remove the raw milk from the shelves while the sample was retested. The test was done again independently by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory on Saturday (23).
As bird flu spread among poultry and livestock in the US this year, raw milk became a source of interest again. High-profile consumers include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
American company, Raw Farm LLC has recalled 900ml to 1.8L bottles of its raw milk with lot ID 20241109 and expiration date of November 27th.
Raw Farm reported that it is using its standard safety procedures to monitor cows for disease and that milk from the recalled batch should be off store shelves. In a press release it said that “All results performed by RAW FARM and all official testing by CDFA (the California state agency that regulates and tests Raw Farm products) were NEGATIVE.”
In a video statement published on YouTube, the vice president of marketing said: “None of our supplies have been interrupted, changed or paused”, “We will not adjust any of our routes. We just want to make sure we always exercise an abundance of caution at all times.”
THE CNN has reached out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for comment.
The new recall comes amid outbreaks of avian influenza in wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
This year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 55 human cases of bird flu, including 29 in California. The majority are related to rural workers who had contact with sick animals.
Last week, the CDC announced the first U.S. case of bird flu identified in a child in California; the investigation into how the child was exposed is ongoing.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans include typical flu-like symptoms such as red eyes, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, or fever. The California Department of Health encourages anyone who has consumed the product and notices symptoms to alert their doctor or local health department immediately.
This content was originally published in California detects bird flu virus in batch of raw milk on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
