Raw milk been under the microscope for weeks in California.
On Dec. 6, public health officials issued a statewide warning, to test for bird flu in patients who display symptoms after drinking it.
UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong pointed out that raw milk has long been linked to E.coli, salmonella, listeria risks and now bird flu.
“Right now, it’s very low threat to the general population, in the short-term, but in the medium term and long-term, I think that’s where people are a little bit nervous because the virus is mutating,” he said.
Marin County is investigating a possible case of the bird flu involving a child, who drank raw milk. For now, Chin-Hong said people who don’t consume raw dairy products are at lower risk. He added that risks will likely increase as the virus mutates just as it did with COVID.
“But the good news is it’s not like the early years of COVID. We have diagnostic tests. We have vaccines that are being developed,” he said.
Grocers recently pulled Fresno-based “Raw Farms” products from shelves following multiple detections of the virus in the company’s milk and cream samples.
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Last week, about 1.7-million Merced County chickens were destroyed after the virus was detected in the flock and the farm was placed under quarantine, halting sales.
Across the nation, egg production is also down 2.5% year-to-year and shoppers are already seeing prices go up at some Bay Area stores while choices disappear.
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Bird flu is partially to blame for the price hikes. Dan Sumner, UC Davis agricultural economics professor, said to expect higher egg prices in the year ahead if the virus isn’t contained.
“So if 10% of the eggs are not in the market, the price has to go up a lot to get people. Overall, to cut back by 10%,” he said.
There have been 32 confirmed bird flu cases in the state in 2024 but almost all of them have been poultry and dairy workers handling sick animals and there have been no confirmed human-to-human exposures.
