Authorities are warning against drinking raw milk after a child in Northern California was suspected of contracting bird flu from the drink.
The young man, who has not been identified, began vomiting and developed a fever before going to the hospital for treatment, according to Marin County Public Health.
The boy was sent to the emergency room where he tested positive for the influenza A virus and officials suspect he had the H5N1 strain that is currently ravaging California dairy farms.
The unnamed child made a full recovery and did not transmit the virus to anyone else in his family.
While they wait for additional testing, MCPH warns that doctors should be on the lookout for symptoms of the virus in people who drink raw milk.
Fears about the possible spread of bird flu led health authorities last week to order mandatory testing of the country’s raw milk supply.
At least 4.4 percent of Americans (nearly 11 million people) try raw milk each year and one of its most famous advocates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Normally, milk is protected from contamination with viruses and other pathogens such as E Coli, through the pasteurization process, which involves heating dairy to a certain temperature for a period of time.
In 2006, Mary McGonigle-Martin got her son to start drinking raw milk at age seven after seeing advertisements for it in a local health food store. He fell ill with a bacteria that caused him to go into a coma and shut down his kidneys. The McGonigle-Martin family is not involved in the current outbreak.
Like the unnamed child in the new Marin County Public Health alert, Chris McGonigle-Martin has fully recovered from his raw milk-borne illness, caused by the pathogen E coli.
Pasteurization has been used since 1862 and is considered a significant advance in public health. Dramatically reduced the risk of foodborne illness by effectively killing harmful bacteria in milk, eggs and juices.
But in recent decades, raw milk advocates have claimed that pasteurization removes nutrients that help with allergies, asthma and digestive problems.
However, according to the fdaHowever, this process, which involves heating the milk to kill bacteria, has no significant effect on nutritional value or eliminates the “probiotic microorganisms” that support gut health.
There have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu and one suspected case in California this year, as of October 2024.
In the United States, the total is 58.
Most have occurred in people who work directly with cows and poultry that have been infected with the virus.
Common symptoms include a mild cough and conjunctivitis, which is also known as conjunctivitis.
Since August, 527 herds in the state have been infected. Across the United States, there have been approximately 729 infected herds, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
California has had the most infections in livestock and humans, and is followed by states such as Colorado, Michigan and Missouri.
In late November, an outbreak of bird flu was detected at California-based Raw Farm LLC. It is one of the largest suppliers of raw dairy products in the country.
The company issued a voluntary recall of all its products suspected of containing the virus.
Health officials have been testing farms like this one amid fears about a new pandemic.
The American Dairy Association said pasteurization is responsible for the eradication of many foodborne illnesses that used to wreak havoc on the nation.
In May, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf testified before a Senate committee that they were preparing for a national outbreak of bird flu because the virus had been so infectious and deadly in previous outbreaks.
“This virus, like all viruses, is mutating,” Dr. Califf told policymakers. “We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it could reach humans.”
“(The) real concern is that it jumps into the human lungs where, when that has happened in other parts of the world… the mortality rate has been 25 percent.”
Every time a new person gets sick with the virus, the virus has another chance to mutate, and with each mutation, it has the potential to become more infectious and deadly. That’s why officials are trying to slow infections with warnings like these.
However, raw milk consumption appears to be at an all-time high, thanks in part to advocates like RFK Jr.
In addition to favoring raw milk, the former presidential candidate has expressed support for debunked theories linking vaccines to autism, 5G wireless technologies to cancer, and mass shootings to prescription drug use in the United States.
Still, The Hill polls Find out that RFK Jr may have a 47 percent approval rating, suggesting that the politician has great influence over a portion of the American population.
Raw milk is not banned nationwide, but in some states such as Louisiana, Michigan, and New Jersey, the sale of raw milk is prohibited. In others, such as California, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, the product is allowed in general retail establishments.
Still, according to MCPH, H5N1 has not yet been transferred between humans and should not be a cause for panic.
The department said: “People rarely contract bird flu, but those who interact with infected dairy cows, poultry or wild animals are at increased risk of infection. The current risk to the public remains low.”