Bird flu detected in raw milk from California, state officials warn

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The avian influenza virus — or the bird flu virus — has been detected in a retail sample of raw milk from a California-based raw dairy farm, health officials confirmed Sunday.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers against drinking raw milk after a batch of whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC, of Fresno County, tested positive for the virus.

Raw Farm has since issued a voluntary recall for all quart- and half gallon-sized milk products produced on Nov. 9 with an expiration date of Nov. 27. The batch's lot ID is 20241109.

State health officials say no illnesses have been reported with this lot of milk. But due to the ongoing spread of bird flu in dairy cows, consumers are advised not to drink the products.

Pasteurized milk, however, is still safe to drink.

The CDPH reports they have notified retailers to remove the affected milk from their shelves and urge consumers to return the product immediately.

When a cow is infected with bird flu, high amounts of the virus can be detected in its milk. However, the pasteurization process kills off or inactivates the virus, the Food and Drug Administration says.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is not pasteurized. “Raw milk can be contaminated with harmful germs that can make you very sick,” the CDC says on its website. Consumers who drink or "accidentally" inhale raw milk containing the avian influenza virus may be at risk for illness, the CDPH says.

Aside from bird flu concerns, raw milk can also contain salmonella, E. coli and listeria, the FDA says.

Of the dozens of confirmed cases of bird flu recorded in humans in 2024, the CDPH said 29 of those were reported in California since early October. An infection recorded just last week in California also marked the first case of bird flu in a child in the U.S. The child's symptoms were said to be mild.

Farmers are advised to contact the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s bird flu hotline at 866-922-2473 if they suspect their animals are infected with bird flu.