The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on November 27 warned residents a few second batch of uncooked milk on retail cabinets that has examined optimistic for avian flu virus, as official await the outcomes from the most recent bulk milk tank testing on the farm in Fresno County that produces the merchandise.
In different developments, the CDPH reported two extra infections in dairy employees, elevating the state’s human circumstances this yr to 31, all however 1 involving publicity to sick cows. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed these 2 new circumstances, pushing the nationwide whole this yr to 55. In its newest FluView replace, the CDC mentioned the 2 new circumstances from California each contain folks ages 18 and older who had delicate signs, which they reported to native well being officers.
Also, federal officers confirmed extra H5N1 avian flu outbreaks on California dairy farms in addition to at poultry services in three states.
More testing deliberate, distribution halted at uncooked milk producer
News of a second contaminated uncooked milk batch got here 3 days after California introduced the primary optimistic check in retail uncooked milk offered by Raw Farms, primarily based in Fresno, which is a part of the Central Valley area that has been the epicenter of the state’s dairy farm outbreaks since late August.
For each batches, the positives in retail uncooked milk was the results of testing on the Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory. As with the primary batch, the corporate has voluntarily recalled the second batch of uncooked milk. No recognized human sicknesses have been reported.
The CDPH mentioned officers from the California Department of Agriculture had been at Raw Farm’s processing facility on November 27 to gather extra samples of saved bulk tank milk and bottled milk, and check outcomes are pending. California is among the many states that has been often testing uncooked milk in bulk tanks.
The Los Angeles Times reported that though county well being division testing of retail samples was optimistic, state testing hadn’t detected the virus by way of its bulk milk testing. It additionally mentioned state officers on November 28 banned Raw Farm from distributing its uncooked milk merchandise.
The farm’s proprietor additionally informed the Times that follow-up exams on the farm on November 27 had been optimistic for the virus.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in its warnings concerning the contaminated uncooked milk has been monitoring shops in its jurisdiction which have offered milk from Raw Farms. Last week, it listed 10 retailers and mentioned extra would doubtless be added as its investigation continues.
On November 27, it posted an update that listed 49 areas, principally Sprouts Farmers Market areas throughout the county. It urged residents to keep away from ingesting the recalled milk and to return any remaining product to the retailer.
More California dairy farms, poultry services in 6 states hit
In updates since November 27, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed 14 extra H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle, all involving California herds. The newest additions push the state’s whole to 475 and the nationwide whole to 689 throughout 15 states.
Also, APHIS confirmed extra H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in six states. All contain business farms. In California, the virus struck poultry farms in three counties—a duck breeder and a broiler facility housing greater than 266,000 birds in Fresno County, a turkey farm in Merced County, and a business hatchery in Tulare County.
In Minnesota, the virus hit two extra turkey farms in Meeker County, one among which has practically 242,000 birds.
Similar outbreaks had been 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 homes 37,200 birds. The outbreak is Tennessee’s first since October 2023.
