The fowl flu virus was detected in a retail pattern of uncooked milk from a California-based dairy farm as instances proceed to rise throughout the state, well being officers introduced.
The contaminated pattern got here from Fresno-based Uncooked Farm, the most important producer and retailer of uncooked dairy in California. The contaminated pattern was detected by officers from the Santa Clara County public well being workplace, which has been testing uncooked milk already positioned in retail shops throughout the state “as a second line of shopper safety.”
Uncooked Farms has since issued a voluntary recall of all quart and half-gallon milk merchandise produced on Nov. 9. The merchandise are set to run out on Nov. 27 and have the lot ID #20241109.
No instances related to the Uncooked Farms merchandise have been reported but.
“This isn’t stunning, given how rapidly H5N1 appears to be spreading amongst farms in California and given the truth that these outbreaks on farms are being found largely attributable to bulk testing of uncooked milk from farms,” Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Middle at Brown College, advised the Los Angeles Occasions.
“What we don’t know is how a lot threat H5N1 poses to people who drink unpasteurized, contaminated milk.”
Solely the “H5” a part of the virus was detected within the collected pattern, however well being officers nonetheless imagine that it’s nonetheless doubtless contaminated with H5N1. No H5 instances have been reported within the state and it hasn’t been recognized in any cows both.
Mark McAfee, proprietor of Uncooked Farm, advised the Los Angeles Occasions that that is the primary time any of his merchandise have examined constructive for the virus since he began enrolling in voluntary testing in April.
However it’s not the primary time Uncooked Farm has by accident positioned contaminated merchandise available on the market. In February, the corporate needed to situation a recall of its uncooked cheddar cheese merchandise that have been linked to an E. coli outbreak throughout a number of states. The dairy firm was additionally tied to a salmonella outbreak in October 2023 that contaminated at the very least 165 folks.
Nuzzo advised the Los Angeles Occasions that findings from current animal research point out that the fowl flu virus “might pose a threat if ingested in giant sufficient portions, however we’ve got not but seen human instances ensuing from uncooked milk consumption. Provided that ingestion of uncooked milk has no credible well being advantages, I personally would keep away from ingesting it.”
Simply final week, a toddler was reported to have contracted the fowl flu – the primary youth case in California. Investigators nonetheless aren’t positive how he caught it, however have dominated out contact with contaminated dairy – together with uncooked milk – or poultry animals.
Up to now, the Golden State has seen 29 constructive instances, all in dairy employees aside from the kid. Solely 55 instances of fowl flu have been reported nationwide, with California making up about half of all instances.
The virus has additionally been detected in wastewater websites in Santa Clara County, together with Palo Alto, San Jose, Gilroy, and Sunnyvale.
It’s additionally been present in 24 of California’s 28 wastewater programs, based on testing from WastewaterScan.
States throughout the nation have just lately been legalizing uncooked milk merchandise. President-elect Donald Trump’s Well being and Human Providers nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has additionally indicated that he desires to extend the nation’s entry to and consumption of uncooked milk.
Supply hyperlink
