A California child suspected of having bird flu drank raw milk before becoming ill, local health officials said.
A Marin County child went to a local emergency room last month complaining of fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk, officials said. The child tested positive for influenza A, a category that includes both seasonal influenza and avian influenza.
The Marin County Health Department said it is working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on additional testing to confirm whether this infection is avian influenza or seasonal influenza. .
The child has recovered and no other family members have become ill, indicating that there is no human-to-human transmission.
California officials have been warning about the dangers of raw milk ever since the virus was first identified in dairy products. Raw milk is not pasteurized and may contain viruses and bacteria. Outbreaks of numerous bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, and brucellosis, have been associated with the consumption of raw dairy products.
Earlier this month, the state suspended all products from Fresno-area company Law Farms after avian influenza was detected in samples.
Despite the bird flu outbreak, a new wave of interest in raw milk is being generated by prominent advocates including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Trump has nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. are.
Currently, 58 cases of avian influenza have been confirmed in Japan, most of which are related to poultry and dairy workers.
The Marin County case could be the second such case for a Bay Area child. Last month, a child in Alameda County tested positive for the virus, and officials are still working to figure out how the child contracted the virus.
