Raw milk from a California dairy is recalled after routine testing detected the bird flu virus

[November 26, 2024]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The bird flu virus was detected in a retail sample of raw milk from a dairy in Fresno, California, state health officials said.

The sample obtained at a store tested positive Nov. 21 during routine screening by Santa Clara County health officers, the state Department of Public Health said Sunday.

The dairy, Raw Farm, issued a voluntary recall for one batch of cream top, whole raw milk with a best buy date of Nov. 27.

“Consumers should immediately return any remaining product to the store where it was purchased," the state health department said in a statement.

Pasteurized milk remains safe to drink, the department said.

On Friday, health officials confirmed bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor.

The child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

There have been at least 55 U.S. bird flu cases this year, including 29 in California, the CDC said. Most were farmworkers who tested positive with mild symptoms.

H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely in the U.S. among wild birds, poultry and a number of other animals over the last few years.

It began spreading in U.S. dairy cattle in March. California has become the center of that outbreak, with 402 infected herds detected there since August.

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