There were two new reports on avian influenza over the weekend, both out of California: A child apparently has contracted the virus, and bird flu showed up in a sample of raw milk destined for human consumption.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a child in California was infected with avian influenza A(H5N1) (H5N1 bird flu) -- the first reported infection of a child in the U.S. The source of the exposure was not immediately identified.
Consistent with previously identified human cases, the child had mild symptoms and received flu antivirals, and he/she is recovering. There were low levels of viral material detected in the initial specimen collected, and follow-up testing of the child several days later was negative for H5 bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses.
And the California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers to avoid consuming a certain lot of raw milk produced and packaged by Raw Farm LLC in Fresno County. The company issued a voluntary recall of the affected product: cream top, whole raw milk from lot No. 20241109 with a "best by" date of Nov. 27.
Retailers have also been notified to take affected products off their shelves.
The CDPH emphasized that pasteurized milk remains safe to drink, as the CDC and FDA has.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.