Bird Flu Found In Raw Milk In The US, Officials Say

The bird flu virus has been found in raw milk sold in California, officials have confirmed.

According to reports, the H5N1 virus was found in one sample of whole raw milk from Raw Farm LLC, a dairy farm in Fresno County, California. The farm has recalled its raw milk with the batch number 20241109 and a best-by date of November 27, in both quart and gallon sizes.

While no illnesses have been traced to the milk, the state Department of Public Health has warned people not to consume it. “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.

A bucket of raw milk being poured into a jug — Adobe Stock Experts have long warned people against consuming raw milk

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized, meaning it retains bacteria. Health experts have long warned against consumption of raw milk as it can lead to foodborne illness. Despite these risks, demand for raw milk in the US remains high, driven largely by dubious claims about its health benefits.

Bird flu in the US

Bird flu, which most prominently affects farmed birds, has been spreading among dairy cows throughout the US, with the first known cases documented in March. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since been conducting regular testing of dairy products in the country. Most cases of bird flu in dairy cows have been reported in California, with 402 cases discovered in the state. In the US as a whole, 616 herds are known to have been infected.

While there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of bird flu, there have been several human cases documented, particularly among agricultural workers. A report published earlier this month found that most dairy worker infections are going undetected, meaning there have likely been far more cases than previously thought.

The CDC tested 115 workers from Colorado and Michigan, and eight of them were found to have antibodies for bird flu, indicating previous infection. The farms where they worked had confirmed H5N1 bird flu cases in cows. Workers can catch the virus from working closely with cows, such as milking or moving manure.

Bird flu can cause symptoms including eye irritation and fever in humans. In some cases, it can be fatal. While human infection is rare, there are concerns that the virus could mutate, allowing for human-to-human transmission. Experts have described bird flu as a “ticking time bomb” for a future pandemic.