**California Officials Warn Against Raw Milk from Raw Farm Due to Bird Flu Concerns**

California health officials have issued a caution against consuming raw milk from Fresno-based Raw Farm after it was found to contain the bird flu virus. The state is conducting further tests on Raw Farm products, but consumers are advised to avoid any affected raw milk for now, according to a statement released by the California Department of Public Health on Wednesday.

Raw Farm has voluntarily recalled a batch of its milk, identified by lot code number 20241119 with a best-before date of December 7, 2024, at the state's request. Earlier in the week, the farm also recalled quart and half-gallon sizes of raw milk with the lot ID of 20241109 and a best-by date of November 27. Importantly, no human bird flu cases have been linked to the milk so far.

The virus was initially discovered by the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory during routine testing of raw milk products from retail stores in the area. This week's identification marks the second time the bird flu virus has been found in Raw Farm's products. Unlike pasteurized milk, raw milk does not undergo a heating process to eliminate harmful bacteria, making it a potential carrier of pathogens such as listeria, campylobacter, salmonella, and E. coli. Health officials have long advised against drinking raw milk due to the risks of serious illnesses including miscarriages, stillbirths, kidney failure, and death.

In response to the recent findings, California's Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) collected more samples of store bulk tank milk and bottled products from Raw Farm on Wednesday. The results from these additional tests are still pending. Despite these new developments, Raw Farm maintains that their products are "rigorously tested for quality," asserting that all their tests, including those performed by the CDFA, have returned negative results.

This year, the spread of bird flu among poultry and dairy cattle in the U.S. has reignited interest in raw milk, which has some prominent advocates. In June, the FDA recommended that states intensify public warnings about the dangers of raw milk, especially in regions where dairy herds have tested positive for H5N1.

Former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler recently wrote in the New York Times emphasizing the need for mandatory bulk testing of milk in dairy-farm states to control the virus. He warned that without such measures, the risk of the virus mutating to facilitate human-to-human transmission remains high.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted 55 human cases of bird flu in 2024, with 29 cases reported in California alone. Most of these cases involve farm workers exposed to sick animals. Notably, the CDC reported the first U.S. case of bird flu in a child in California last week, and an investigation into the exposure is currently underway.

Human symptoms of bird flu can resemble regular flu symptoms and include eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, trouble swallowing, or fever. Those who have consumed the affected raw milk and experience any of these symptoms should contact their healthcare provider or local health department immediately, urged California's health department.