Chook flu virus detected in California uncooked milk

By Susanne Rust | Los Angeles Occasions

State well being officers confirmed Sunday that H5N1 hen flu virus was detected in a retail pattern of uncooked milk from the Fresno-based Uncooked Farm dairy.

The pattern was collected by officers with the Santa Clara County public well being workplace.

Uncooked Farm has issued a voluntary recall for all quart and half-gallon-sized milk merchandise produced on Nov. 9, with an expiration date of Nov. 27, with lots ID of #20241109.

Thus far, there have been no reviews of sickness related to this recall.

Final week, the CDC reported samples taken from a toddler in Alameda County who was displaying gentle respiratory signs had been optimistic for H5N1. It’s unclear how the kid was uncovered to the virus, though investigators dominated out publicity to contaminated dairy or poultry animals. In addition they dominated out uncooked milk.

All through California, 29 folks have examined optimistic for the virus, all however one — the kid in Alameda County — are dairy staff. Nationwide, the quantity is 55, with 32 uncovered through dairy, 21 through poultry, and two with no identified supply.

As well as, a young person in British Columbia was additionally contaminated and has remained in important situation for greater than two weeks. The supply of that youngster’s an infection additionally stays unknown.

Since March, 402 California dairy herds have examined optimistic within the state; 616 herds have examined optimistic nationwide.

Mark McAfee, the proprietor of Uncooked Farm, mentioned that the testing he and the California Division of Meals and Agriculture have performed on his milk — since he began voluntary testing in late April — have all been damaging.

“In the last two days CDFA has collected extra dairy samples from our farm bulk tanks and even retail samples and they are all officially Negative for HPAI,” he wrote in an announcement. HPAI is the acronym for Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza; it’s usually used interchangeably with H5N1, in addition to different extremely pathogenic hen influenza strains.

Uncooked Farm is the biggest producer and retailer of uncooked milk within the state, the place the product is legally offered in retail shops. McAfee mentioned he has about 1,800 head of cattle on two dairies — one in Fresno, the opposite close to Hanford.

The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration doesn’t permit for the interstate switch of uncooked milk for human consumption and advises the general public to not drink or devour uncooked milk merchandise. Officers say that pasteurization inactivates the virus.

A number of states have not too long ago modified legal guidelines to legalize uncooked milk merchandise, together with Iowa, Louisiana and Delaware — which all modified legal guidelines this spring permitting for wider client entry.

As well as, President-elect Trump’s nomination for Well being and Human Companies, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a vocal proponent of uncooked milk and has mentioned he needs to extend peoples’ entry to unpasteurized milk.

The Uncooked Farm recall discover requests that shops take away the product from its cabinets and urges customers to return the product to the shop from which it was bought for a free alternative or refund.

MCafee mentioned it’s unlikely any of the product stays on retailer cabinets.

“It’s all gone,” he mentioned. “We take back anything that doesn’t sell after seven days.”

The virus has proven up in wastewater websites throughout Santa Clara County, together with Palo Alto, San Jose, Gilroy and Sunnyvale.