Bird flu virus detected in raw milk from California dairy prompts recall – National

The bird flu virus was discovered in a small sample of raw milk from a dairy in Fresno, California, state health officials said.

The sample obtained at a store tested positive on Nov. 21 during routine screening by Santa Clara County health officials, the Department of Health said Sunday.

The dairy, Raw Farm, has issued a voluntary recall for one batch of whole, raw milk with a best purchase date of November 27.

“Consumers should immediately return any leftover product to the store where it was purchased,” the state health department said in a statement.

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Pasteurized milk remains safe to drink, the department said.

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On Friday, health officials confirmed bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor.

The child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medications and is recovering, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

There have been at least 55 cases of bird flu in the U.S. this year, including 29 in California, the CDC said. Most were farm workers who tested positive with mild symptoms.

H5N1 bird flu has spread widely in the US in recent years among wild birds, poultry and a number of other animals.

The disease began spreading among U.S. dairy cattle in March. California has become the center of that outbreak, with 402 herds infected since August.