“Child in California Tests Negative for H5N1 Bird Flu After Drinking Raw Milk: CDC Report”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that testing of samples taken from a child in California who was suspected to have contracted H5N1 bird flu after drinking raw milk turned up no evidence of influenza viruses. The child had presented to a Marin County emergency department with a fever and vomiting, and an initial test had shown positive for flu A. However, subsequent tests conducted by local laboratories and the CDC were unable to confirm the presence of any flu virus in the samples.
Kevin Griffis, director of the CDC’s office of communications, stated that the sample was negative for all flu targets, indicating that the child will not be added to the list of confirmed human cases in the U.S. Lisa Santora, public health officer for Marin County, noted that the low amount of virus in the original test sample may have contributed to the inability to confirm the initial positive result.
Experts like Michael Osterholm from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy warned that with flu season underway and the popularity of raw milk in certain segments of the California population, similar cases may arise. Health professionals are advised to gather clear exposure histories from patients with influenza-like illnesses to determine if they have had contact with potentially infected animals or consumed raw milk.
To date this year, the CDC has confirmed 58 human cases of H5N1 in seven states, mostly among workers on infected dairy farms or individuals involved in culling infected poultry. The child in California had consumed raw milk from a company called Raw Milk LLC, which had products that tested positive for H5N1. The family was reportedly unaware that the milk was unpasteurized.
Despite concerns about the potential for human transmission of H5N1 through raw milk, family members of the child tested negative for flu, and the child, who did not exhibit classic flu symptoms, has since recovered. Studies have shown that commercial pasteurization can effectively kill the virus in milk.
California has been at the center of the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows, with over 600 herds testing positive for the virus. Nationally, 832 herds in 16 states have been affected since the outbreak was first confirmed in late March. The source of the child’s infection remains unknown, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and surveillance to detect and prevent the spread of H5N1.