United States: California health authorities have advised people against taking raw milk produced by Raw Farm LLC in Fresno as the latest batch was found to contain bird flu. The company said the affected products, in quart and half-gallon sizes, were made on November 9 and have an expiry date of November 27, as reported by The Hills.
Due to food safety concerns, Raw Farm LLC has also requested that stores remove from circulation products with the lot number 20241109.
Nobody Hospitalized, But Caution advised
Although no diseases associated with the sale of the raw milk have been reported, the CDPH is requesting consumers not to consume any raw milk that may be infected.
Heath Risks associated with Raw Milk exposed
Consumption of raw milk, or milk that has not undergone pasteurization still poses serious health risk, as it may contain infectious agents such as bacteria for instance salmonella, listeria ,brucella and viral agents for instance bird flu. Pasteurization is the heating of liquids to eliminate pathogens, which are crucial in avoiding such dangers.
Increased Testing for Bird Flu in Raw Milk
California first began testing raw milk for bird flu earlier this year after the virus was detected in dairy cattle. The state has now ramped up testing to twice a week to monitor for the virus. Since March, the H5N1 bird flu strain has been found in dairy cows and goats, with 29 confirmed cases in California.
Most individuals who contracted the virus had direct contact with infected animals, with no human-to-human transmission reported this year, as reported by The Hills.
First Child Case of Bird Flu Confirmed
In a concerning development, health authorities confirmed California’s first case of bird flu in a child. The child is reportedly recovering, and an investigation into the source of exposure is ongoing.
