Calif. Child Suspected to Have Contracted Bird Flu from Drinking Raw Milk

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of a milk carton.Photo:Jann Huizenga/Getty

Jann Huizenga/Getty

A second child in California is suspected to have contracted bird flu, said health authorities, who linked the infection to consumption of raw milk.The unnamed child from Northern California “experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk. The child has recovered, and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to person transmission,”Marin County Public Health (MCPH)said in a Dec. 10 statement.The first child with bird flu had mild respiratory symptoms,CBS Newsreported on Nov. 22, and the source of the infection wasn’t disclosed. The outlet reported that members of the Alameda County household shared the same symptoms but the rest of the family tested negative for the virus that causes bird flu, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza.A Dec. 6 update from theCalifornia Department of Public Health (CDPH)said that the first child had “no known exposure to animals.“Stock image of a thermometer.Elizabeth Fernandez/GettyThere have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu in California this year, MCPH said, amid an ongoing outbreak of the virus that’s largely impacted poultry and dairy farm workers who come in contact with infected animals. However, the Dec. 6 statement fromCDPHadvised healthcare providers to test patients for HPAI if they had consumed raw milk and exhibited flu-like symptoms.On Nov. 24, theCalifornia Department of Public Health(CDPH) announced that bird flu was detected in aretail sample of raw milk, which was recalled. It’s not known if the second child consumed milk from the same batch.TheWorld Health Organizationhas called the current outbreak a “significant public health concern.”Stock image of dairy cows.GettySymptoms of bird flu mimic those associated with influenza, according to theCDC: fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, shortness of breath, stuffy or runny nose, eye redness, and headaches. In some patients, it might progress to pneumonia and require hospitalization.Treatment of bird flu and influenza are similar: Tamiflu or other antivirals are prescribed, the CDC says. TheCDC advisespeople to not drink “raw milk contaminated with live A(H5N1) virus as a way to develop antibodies against A(H5N1) virus to protect against future disease. Consuming raw milk could make you sick.”Pasteurization — heating milk before consumption to kill viruses and bacteria — “offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption,” the CDC says.TheU.S. Department of Agriculturesaid in a Dec. 6 statement that raw milk samples would be tested for bird flu, saying it’s “a critical part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A second child in California is suspected to have contracted bird flu, said health authorities, who linked the infection to consumption of raw milk.

The unnamed child from Northern California “experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk. The child has recovered, and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to person transmission,”Marin County Public Health (MCPH)said in a Dec. 10 statement.

The first child with bird flu had mild respiratory symptoms,CBS Newsreported on Nov. 22, and the source of the infection wasn’t disclosed. The outlet reported that members of the Alameda County household shared the same symptoms but the rest of the family tested negative for the virus that causes bird flu, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza.

A Dec. 6 update from theCalifornia Department of Public Health (CDPH)said that the first child had “no known exposure to animals.”

Stock image of a thermometer.Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty

Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty

There have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu in California this year, MCPH said, amid an ongoing outbreak of the virus that’s largely impacted poultry and dairy farm workers who come in contact with infected animals. However, the Dec. 6 statement fromCDPHadvised healthcare providers to test patients for HPAI if they had consumed raw milk and exhibited flu-like symptoms.

On Nov. 24, theCalifornia Department of Public Health(CDPH) announced that bird flu was detected in aretail sample of raw milk, which was recalled. It’s not known if the second child consumed milk from the same batch.

TheWorld Health Organizationhas called the current outbreak a “significant public health concern.”

Stock image of dairy cows.Getty

Getty

Symptoms of bird flu mimic those associated with influenza, according to theCDC: fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, shortness of breath, stuffy or runny nose, eye redness, and headaches. In some patients, it might progress to pneumonia and require hospitalization.

Treatment of bird flu and influenza are similar: Tamiflu or other antivirals are prescribed, the CDC says. TheCDC advisespeople to not drink “raw milk contaminated with live A(H5N1) virus as a way to develop antibodies against A(H5N1) virus to protect against future disease. Consuming raw milk could make you sick.”

Pasteurization — heating milk before consumption to kill viruses and bacteria — “offers the same nutritional benefits without the risks of raw milk consumption,” the CDC says.

TheU.S. Department of Agriculturesaid in a Dec. 6 statement that raw milk samples would be tested for bird flu, saying it’s “a critical part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

source: people.com