November 24th 2024.
According to reports from state health officials, it has been confirmed that a sample of raw milk from the Fresno-based Raw Farm dairy has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus. The sample was collected by officials from the Santa Clara County public health office, and as a precaution, Raw Farm has issued a voluntary recall for all quart and half-gallon-sized milk products produced on Nov. 9 with an expiration date of Nov. 27 and a lot ID of #20241109.
Despite this alarming news, there have been no reports of illness associated with this recall. It is believed that the virus was detected in a retail sample of raw milk, and not in any of the dairy workers. In fact, out of the 29 people who have tested positive for the virus in California, all but one are dairy workers. Nationwide, there have been 55 cases, with 32 exposed through dairy, 21 through poultry, and two with no known source.
Last week, the CDC reported that a child in Alameda County who was showing mild respiratory symptoms had also tested positive for H5N1. However, it is still unclear how the child was exposed to the virus, as investigators have ruled out exposure to infected dairy or poultry animals, as well as raw milk.
In addition to the cases in California, a teenager in British Columbia was also infected and has remained in critical condition for more than two weeks. The source of that child's infection is still unknown.
Raw Farm, the largest producer and retailer of raw milk in the state, has been conducting voluntary testing since late April and all tests have come back negative. Owner Mark McAfee stated that even recent tests conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture have all been negative for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which is often used interchangeably with H5N1.
It is worth noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not allow for the interstate transfer of raw milk for human consumption and advises the public not to drink or consume raw milk products. They recommend pasteurization as a way to inactivate the virus.
However, some states, including Iowa, Louisiana, and Delaware, have recently changed their laws to legalize raw milk products and allow for wider consumer access. In addition, President-elect Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a vocal proponent of raw milk and has expressed a desire to increase access to unpasteurized milk for the public.
The Raw Farm recall notice requests that stores remove the affected products from their shelves and urges consumers to return them for a free replacement or refund. McAfee has stated that it is unlikely any of the product remains on store shelves, as they have a policy of taking back unsold products after seven days.
The virus has also been found in wastewater sites across Santa Clara County, including in Palo Alto, San Jose, Gilroy, and Sunnyvale. It has also been detected in 24 of the 28 California wastewater systems tested by WastewaterScan, a monitoring network led by researchers at Stanford and Emory University, with lab testing partner Verily, Alphabet Inc.'s life sciences organization.
McAfee acknowledges that we are currently in a "very highly charged time for raw milk" and that it has been making headlines since RFK announced his desire for raw milk to be available for everyone to improve immunity and gut health. He further states that their mission at Raw Farm is to provide the highest quality raw milk to their consumers, and they stand by their testing protocols and history with the state's agriculture department.
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