They really don’t want you drinking raw nutritious milk even though our ancestors did it for thousands of years, as it’s a gift from God that you can get it from cows, goats… And pasteurization destroys a lot of nutrition, and if it was so great they wouldn’t have started the practice based on a lie. And the PCR test can be spun up to positive for anything, not to mention that anything happening with California’s government should be treated with a high level of skepticism. And original reports said cows infected with avian flu had discolored milk and would be separated from the other dairy cows immediately. Consequently, I’m not worried and about to go have a glass with some toast and jelly.
Since H5N1 was found spreading among dairy cows in March, health experts have warned about the additional risk of consuming raw milk. Still, consumption of raw milk has continued, and surprisingly increased, as supporters of the dangerous practice have accused health officials of “fearmongering.”
One more reason drinking raw milk is a bad idea.
By Beth Mole
Credit: Getty | Lukas Schulze
Bird flu virus has been found in a batch of raw—unpasteurized—milk sold in California, prompting a recall issued at the state’s request, health officials announced over the weekend.
No illnesses have yet been linked to the contaminated milk, made by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County. The contamination was found in testing by health officials in nearby Santa Clara County, who detected the virus in milk from a retail store. The state laboratory has confirmed the finding.
In a YouTube message from Raw Farm, a company representative called the contamination “not a big deal” and emphasized that the recall is only being done out of an abundance of caution.
The big deal
The detection of bird flu in retail raw milk is troubling but not surprising given the unprecedented and ongoing outbreak of H5N1 bird flu among US dairy cows, which is currently soaring in California, the country’s largest dairy producer. Since the virus was first detected in state herds in late August, California has tallied 402 infected herds, which is among the country’s 616 total across 15 states since March. Further, California has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu, 28 of which had direct contact with infected dairy cows. The US has reported a total of 55 human cases.
It’s not entirely clear how dangerous it is for humans to ingest avian influenza virus in contaminated milk; typically, people are infected by human influenza viruses through the spread of respiratory droplets. But researchers and regulators consider bird flu-containing milk a clear biohazard.
In cows, the bird flu appears to especially target the mammal’s mammary glands, and studies have found that the milk of bird flu-infected cows is brimming with high levels of infectious virus. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May, mice fed raw milk contaminated with bird flu became severely ill. Further, there have been numerous reports of farm cats on H5N1-infected dairies developing brain infections, blindness, and dying in high numbers after drinking infected milk. It’s unclear if humans would follow the same course.
Of the human H5 cases detected in the US so far this year, all have been mild, and nearly all have been from direct exposure with infected animals. Earlier this month, Canada reported its first case of H5 bird flu in a human: a teen in critical condition with no clear exposure to infected animals. According to the World Health Organization, there were 905 H5N1 cases globally between January 2003 and September 27, 2024. Of those cases, 464 were fatal, with a case fatality rate of 51 percent.
Pasteurization
The milk-related risk of H5N1 is only from raw milk; pasteurized milk does not contain live virus and is safe to drink. Pasteurization, which heats milk to a specific temperature for a specified amount of time, kills a variety of bacteria and viruses, including bird flu. Influenza viruses, generally, are considered susceptible to heat treatments because they have an outer layer called an envelope, which can be destabilized by heat. Studies that have specifically looked at the effectiveness of heat-killing treatments against H5N1 have repeatedly found that pasteurization effectively inactivates the virus.
The advent of pasteurization is considered a public health triumph. Its adoption of a safe milk supply contributed to a dramatic reduction in infant deaths in the early 20th century. Before that, milkborne infections—including human and bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, streptococcal infections, diphtheria, and “summer diarrhea”—were common killers of infants.
As such, public health officials have long advised people against consuming raw milk, which has no evidence-based health benefits. Raw milk consumption, meanwhile, is linked to higher rates of outbreaks from pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin-producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter, and many other bacteria.
Risky drinking
Since H5N1 was found spreading among dairy cows in March, health experts have warned about the additional risk of consuming raw milk. Still, consumption of raw milk has continued, and surprisingly increased, as supporters of the dangerous practice have accused health officials of “fearmongering.”
When the retail sampling of Raw Farm’s milk came back positive, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) conducted testing at the company’s locations, which were negative for the virus. The CDFA will now begin testing Raw Farm’s milk for bird flu twice a week.
The recalled milk has lot code 20241109 and a “best by” date of November 27, 2024, printed on the packaging.
“Drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk containing bird flu virus may lead to illness,” California’s public health department said. “In addition, touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands after touching raw milk with bird flu virus may also lead to infection.”
Some US dairy workers who contracted the virus from infected cows reported having had milk splash in their eyes and face. A common symptom of H5N1 infections in humans during the dairy outbreak has been conjunctivitis, aka eye inflammation.