Child in California with suspected bird flu drank raw milk, officials say
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Key takeaways:
- The child may be the second pediatric case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in California.
- No other family members got sick, and the child has recovered, officials said.
A child in California suspected to have highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza consumed raw milk before experiencing symptoms, officials said.
“Bird flu infections in humans are uncommon but there are ongoing outbreaks in dairy cattle and poultry farms in the United States,” Lisa Santora, MD, MPH, public health officer for Marin County, California, said in a press release.
The child experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk, according to Marin County Public Health, which said no other family members got sick and that the child has since recovered. The department said it strongly advises people not to drink raw milk, which can contain a significant number of infectious pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, Brucella abortus and H5N1 virus, according to the CDC.
The first U.S. pediatric case of bird flu was reported last month in Alameda County, California, in a child who was treated with antivirals and recovered. The cause of that infection is still unknown, according to state and county officials.
H5N1 can be transmitted from cows to other animals, including humans, if they are exposed to or drink unpasteurized, or raw, milk from an infected cow, according to the CDC.
Arizona reported its first human bird flu cases in recent days in two people who were exposed to H5N1 at a commercial poultry facility. Both people had mild symptoms, were treated and have recovered, according to state health officials.
According to the CDC, there have been 58 confirmed human bird flu cases in the U.S. in 2024 — 35 after exposure to infected cattle, 21 after exposure to infected poultry, and two cases of unknown origin in California and Missouri.
The CDC’s official count does not include six cases that meet a “probable case definition” because confirmatory testing by the CDC was negative: one in California exposed to dairy cows, three exposed to poultry in Washington and two in Arizona who were exposed to poultry.
The CDC reported that more than 120 million poultry, backyard and wild birds have been affected across the country, and that 742 dairy herds have been affected in 16 states.
Although H5N1 is widespread among wild birds globally and spreading among poultry and dairy cows in the U.S., the CDC has said the current public health risk remains low and that no human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been detected.
References:
- Avian influenza update. https://directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov/news-release-avian-influenza-update/. Published Dec. 6, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
- California Department of Health. Bird flu: Current bird flu situation. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Bird-Flu.aspx. Updated Dec. 4, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
- CDC. Avian influenza (bird flu): H5 bird flu: Current situation. https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html. Updated Dec. 9, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
- CDC. Avian influenza (bird flu): Talking to patients about unpasteurized (raw) milk and highly pathogenic avian influenza. https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/hcp/unpasteurized-raw-milk/index.html. Updated June 3, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
- CDC. Research anthology: Raw milk. https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/php/publications/research-anthology-raw-milk.html. Published May 16, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
- Health officials warn against consuming raw milk. https://www.marincounty.gov/news-releases/health-officials-warn-against-consuming-raw-milk. Published Dec. 10, 2024. Accessed Dec. 11, 2024.
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