The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on November 27 warned residents about a second batch of raw milk on retail shelves that has tested positive for avian flu virus, as official await the results from the latest bulk milk tank testing on the farm in Fresno County that produces the products.
In other developments, the CDPH reported two more infections in dairy workers, raising the state's human cases this year to 31, all but 1 involving exposure to sick cows. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed those 2 new cases, pushing the national total this year to 55. In its latest FluView update, the CDC said the two new cases from California both involve people ages 18 and older who had mild symptoms, which they reported to local health officials.
Also, federal officials confirmed more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks on California dairy farms as well as at poultry facilities in three states.
More testing planned, distribution halted at raw milk producer
News of a second contaminated raw milk batch came 3 days after California announced the first positive test in retail raw milk sold by Raw Farms, based in Fresno, which is part of the Central Valley region that has been the epicenter of the state's dairy farm outbreaks since late August.
For both batches, the positives in retail raw milk was the result of testing at the Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory. As with the first batch, the company has voluntarily recalled the second batch of raw milk. No known human illnesses have been reported.
The CDPH said officials from the California Department of Agriculture were at Raw Farm's processing facility on November 27 to collect more samples of stored bulk tank milk and bottled milk, and test results are pending. California is among the states that has been regularly testing raw milk in bulk tanks.
The Los Angeles Times reported that although county health department testing of retail samples was positive, state testing hadn't detected the virus via its bulk milk testing. It also said state officials on November 28 banned Raw Farm from distributing its raw milk products.
The farm's owner also told the Times that follow-up tests at the farm on November 27 were positive for the virus.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in its warnings about the contaminated raw milk has been tracking outlets in its jurisdiction that have sold milk from Raw Farms. Last week, it listed 10 retailers and said more would likely be added as its investigation continues.
On November 27, it posted an update that listed 49 locations, mostly Sprouts Farmers Market locations across the county. It urged residents to avoid drinking the recalled milk and to return any remaining product to the retailer.
More California dairy farms, poultry facilities in 6 states hit
In updates since November 27, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed 14 more H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle, all involving California herds. The latest additions push the state's total to 475 and the national total to 689 across 15 states.
Also, APHIS confirmed more H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in six states. All involve commercial farms. In California, the virus struck poultry farms in three counties—a duck breeder and a broiler facility housing more than 266,000 birds in Fresno County, a turkey farm in Merced County, and a commercial hatchery in Tulare County.
In Minnesota, the virus hit two more turkey farms in Meeker County, one of which has nearly 242,000 birds.
Similar outbreaks were confirmed at turkey farms in North Dakota (Ransom County), South Dakota (Beadle and Faulk counties), and Utah (Sanpete County).
In the south, the virus was confirmed at a broiler farm in Tennessee's Gibson County that houses 37,200 birds. The outbreak is Tennessee's first since October 2023.
