Bird flu virus detected in raw milk in California

() –– The bird flu virus was detected in a batch of raw milk sold in California, and consumers should not drink it, the state Department of Public Health warned Sunday.

The organism said no illnesses were recorded associated with the batch of raw milk and that the pasteurized milk remains safe 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 of the affected raw milk,” it said.

Raw Farm LLC of Fresno County, California, recalled quart- and half-gallon containers of its raw milk with lot identification number 20241109 and a best-by date of Nov. 27.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory tested raw dairy products from retail stores and one of the samples tested positive for H5 bird flu. The county contacted stores selling raw milk on Friday and recommended that they remove the raw milk while further testing was performed on the sample. The test was independently verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory on Saturday.

The company said it used its standard safety procedures to control the disease in cows and that milk from the recalled batch should not be available on store shelves. Raw Farm said in a press release that “all results conducted by RAW FARM and all official testing conducted by CDFA (the California state agency that regulates and tests Raw Farm products) have been NEGATIVE.”

has reached out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for comment.

“None of our supplies have been stopped, modified or suspended,” Kaleigh Stanziani, Raw Farm’s vice president of marketing, said in a video posted to YouTube. “We are not going to adjust any of our routes. “We just want to make sure that we are always extremely cautious at all times.”

Raw milk is unpasteurized and may contain disease-causing pathogens. Public health officials have long warned against consuming raw milk because of the risk of illness and death, and it is not allowed to be sold across state lines. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no scientific evidence that raw milk helps with illnesses or allergies.

This year, as bird flu spread among poultry and livestock in the United States, raw milk sparked a new wave of interest. It also has some high-profile supporters, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who has said he drinks it.

In June, the FDA urged states to warn the public more strongly about the dangers of raw milk and to use their regulatory authorities to stop the sale of raw milk in areas where dairy herds have tested positive for H5N1.

This recent case comes amid outbreaks of bird flu in wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle. There is no evidence of contagion from person to person.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 55 human cases of bird flu in 2024, including 29 in California. Most are related to agricultural workers who were in contact with sick animals. Last week, the CDC announced the first case of bird flu in the United States identified in a child in California; An investigation is underway into how the child was exposed.

Symptoms of bird flu in humans include typical flu symptoms, such as red eyes, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, or fever. The California Department of Health recommends anyone who has consumed the product and notices symptoms to notify their healthcare provider or local health department immediately.

–– ‘s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.