California Child Possibly Infected with Bird Flu Drank Raw Milk, Health Officials Say
Health officials in Marin County, California are investigating a suspected case of bird flu in a child who consumed raw milk before becoming ill. The child experienced fever and vomiting but has since recovered, with no other family members showing symptoms.
This case emerges amid growing concerns about bird flu transmission through raw milk products in California. The state has already documented 32 confirmed human cases of bird flu this year, with most cases linked to poultry and dairy workers who had direct contact with infected animals.
The investigation comes after California health authorities recently recalled products from RAW FARM, LLC in Fresno County when their raw milk tested positive for the bird flu virus at both retail and production facilities.
While researchers are still working to determine if humans can contract bird flu from drinking raw milk, animal studies suggest cats and mice can become infected through contaminated raw milk consumption.
This incident represents one of two human infections currently under investigation in the Bay Area. A separate case in Alameda County remains under study, though officials have ruled out raw milk as the source of exposure in that instance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains its recommendation against consuming raw milk, which bypasses the pasteurization process designed to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses. Nationwide, the USDA has implemented testing protocols across the raw milk supply chain to monitor the spread of bird flu.
According to CDC data, the United States has recorded at least 58 human cases of bird flu this year, with the majority occurring among farm workers exposed to infected livestock.