Marin County Public Health has identified a possible case of bird flu in a child who became ill after drinking raw milk while visiting the county over Thanksgiving.
The child, who experienced fever and vomiting, has since recovered, and no other family members became sick. If confirmed, the case would become the second case of bird flu recently reported in a child in the North Bay. An Alameda County child, who had no contact with cows or poultry, had mild symptoms. It is unknown if that child had consumed raw milk, but nine other people around the state have become ill after consuming raw milk products, the California Department of Public Health said on Tuesday.
“A robust history of scientific study has documented that pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk,” said Ali Bay, a spokesperson for the C.D.P.H. “Choosing pasteurized milk and products made with pasteurized milk is the best way to keep you and your family safe.”
County health officials are working with the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether the child in Marin was infected with bird flu or seasonal flu. So far, 58 human cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus have been confirmed nationwide, 32 of them in California. Nearly all occurred in dairy or poultry workers who were in close contact with sick animals. None are believed to have been passed from one person to another.
“Bird flu infections in humans are uncommon but there are ongoing outbreaks in dairy cattle and poultry farms in the United States,” Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin County’s Public Health Officer, said in a statement on Tuesday. “The risk to the public remains low.”
Marin officials have heightened their vigilance since traces of H5N1 were detected in wastewater last month. They believe the source of that contamination was likely from wild birds. But raw milk, which can contain the virus, is increasingly under scrutiny.
Earlier this month, state health officials ordered a voluntary recall of all milk and cream produced by Raw Farm, a Fresno dairy, after the virus was found in its products. The company sells at Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax, but the infected lots, which were produced between Nov. 9 and Nov. 27, have since been removed from the shelves.
Last year, the bird flu virus leapt from birds to cows, and so far it has infected more than 500 herds in the Central Valley. No cases have been reported at Marin dairies. Although there have been no documented cases of transmission between people, the virus’s history of high death rates and its ability to adapt have fueled concerns about the potential for a pandemic. The more widespread the virus becomes, the greater the chance that a mutation will emerge.