There have been no reports of illnesses related to the avian influenza virus, which was identified this weekend in a retail sample of raw milk from a Fresno-based dairy.
But the dairy behind bird flu detection, Raw Farm LLC, is identical company that has been selling contaminated products which have caused many illnesses for the past twenty years.
In February, 11 people became unwell after eating Raw Farm's cheddar cheesebased on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Of these, five needed to be hospitalized.
Last 12 months, state authorities issued three recalls of its products. The bacteria Campylobacter has been present in milk And Salmonella has been present in cheese, milk and cream. Between 2012 And 2023At least 35 people became unwell after eating the raw products, which also led to recalls, data from the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show.
“I almost killed my son when I made the decision to give him raw milk,” he said Mary McGonigle Martin of Murrieta, whose son Christopher nearly died in 2006 from hemolytic uremic syndrome brought on by E. coli bacteria after drinking raw milk that she said was purchased from the farm formerly referred to as Organic Pastures.
“He recovered from kidney failure, heart failure, a collapsed lung, acute pancreatitis, high blood pressure and seizures,” said McGonigle-Martin, who’s now the nonprofit’s board chair Stop foodborne illnesses. “When I made the decision to give my son raw milk, I didn’t know that something so terrible could happen to him.”
A spokesman for Raw Farms didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
A brand new potential threat is bird flu in raw milk that has not been pasteurized, a process that uses high heat to kill germs. Experts fear President-elect Donald Trump's entry of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to guide the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services could increase exposure to the virus.
More than 400 herds of cattle have now tested positive for the virus, accounting for 40% of the state's dairy industry.
In the USA, 53 persons are infected with bird flu. Of these, 21 got here from poultry, 31 from dairy cows and one from unknown sources. In California, nearly the entire 29 human cases within the state are linked to dairy farms.
According to the state and county, on Nov. 21, Santa Clara County health officials identified the bird virus in a sample of raw whole milk they purchased at a retail store they didn’t name. The district contacted stores Friday and beneficial they remove the raw milk from sale.
In the meantime, Raw Farms has issued a voluntary recall of raw milk with lot number 20241109 and a best before date of November 27, 2024.
Food scientists warn that not only bird flu but other dangerous microbes have been shown to lurk in unpasteurized milk, a process that uses high heat to kill germs.
“The risk of possible infection from a pathogen that comes from raw milk is significantly higher than with pasteurized milk,” he said David A. Mills, professor within the Department of Food Science & Technology at UC Davis.
We asked food scientists questions on raw milk, pasteurization and the growing problem of bird flu.
Q: Can I catch bird flu from raw milk?
A: To date, there have been no human cases attributed to the consumption of raw milk. But in April, barn cats in Texas died after drinking raw milk from an infected dairy cow. The cats showed symptoms similar to depression, stiff body movements and blindness. Laboratory studies have shown similar results.
A study conducted on mice, reported within the May issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that the virus in “untreated milk can infect susceptible animals that consume it.”
Q: How do microbes get into milk?
A: Even healthy dairy cows can contaminate the milk with dangerous bacteria similar to E. coli.
That's not simply because the udders are near the rectum, Mills said.
“If you're on a farm and you have a lot of livestock, there's a little more droppings than most places,” Mills said. “Transfers will take place.”
After the milk is collected, small amounts of bacteria can multiply and grow.
Q: Why does pasteurization make milk secure?
A: Pasteurization kills bacteria through the use of heat to vary the form of the enzymes and the cell structure of the organism.
The exact temperature and time relies on the batch. Milk will be heated to no less than 145 degrees for no less than half-hour or 161 degrees for 15 seconds. in a big pool. Pasteurization can extend the shelf lifetime of food by several days or perhaps weeks.
Q: Is raw milk legal in California?
A: About 20 states ban the sale of raw milk, but it will probably be legally sold in California if a California dairy farm meets certain sanitation and licensing requirements, based on the state Department of Health. Animals have to be tested for certain diseases, including brucellosis and tuberculosis.
However, these requirements cannot guarantee that a dairy farm will produce raw milk products which might be freed from harmful germs, said tThe California Department of Public Health. Therefore, firms that produce and sell raw milk must display a warning label on all raw milk products.
Q: Isn't raw milk purported to be healthy?
A:According to CDPH, there isn’t any difference in dietary value between raw milk and pasteurized milk.
Raw milk shouldn’t be the identical as organic milk or milk that comes from grass-fed animals. Raw milk can still contain harmful bacteria and other germs.
Raw milk also cannot give you “good bacteria,” sometimes called “probiotics.” According to CDPH, probiotics are present in pasteurized dairy products like yogurt or kefir, that are safer to eat than raw milk.
Q: What is dangerous about raw milk?
A: A 2017 study found that unpasteurized milk, consumed by only 3.2% of the population, and cheese, consumed by just one.6% of the population, caused 96% of illnesses brought on by contaminated dairy products be caused.
In the United States, outbreaks linked to unpasteurized dairy products cause a mean of 760 illnesses and 22 hospitalizations per 12 months, primarily as a consequence of germs similar to Campylobacter and Salmonella. based on CDC.
The biggest risks come from these bacteria:
• Campylobacter: This pathogen may cause reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome, which results in paralysis.
• Salmonella: This pathogen may cause a blood infection, irritable bowel syndrome, and reactive arthritis. Antibiotic resistance makes it difficult to treat salmonella.
• Ecoli. 0157:H7: This pathogen may cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), essentially the most common explanation for kidney failure in children. Some children will eventually need a kidney transplant. Children that suffer from HUS may additionally lose part or all of their colon, suffer from pancreatitis, seizures and strokes. Seizures and strokes may cause everlasting neurological damage.
The biggest risk of great illness is in children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and other people with weakened immune systems. In general, most victims are children.
Additionally, raw milk can contain high levels of antimicrobial resistance genes when stored at room temperature a study by researchers at UC Davis. Bacteria with antimicrobial resistance genes, when passed on to a pathogen, can turn into “superbugs,” meaning that drugs used to treat infections or illnesses now not work.
Originally published:
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