How CA Child Contracted Bird Flu: 5 Things To Know To Stay Safe

CALIFORNIA — A child in California is recovering from a case of avian influenza (H5N1), sparking concerns about everything from transmission to pushing up prices for dairy products.

The child reportedly had mild symptoms and was being treated with antiviral medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The child, who is the first U.S. minor to contract the illness, attends daycare and lives in Alameda, the CDC said. The child has since tested negative and no person-to-person spread has been identified.

Bird flu spreads among dairy cows and poultry. It can be contracted among humans consuming such animals and dairy products.

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READ MORE: Nation's First Child Bird Flu Case Confirmed In CA

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Here are five things to know about bird flu

1. Where Did The Virus Come From?

The virus has been found in a batch of raw milk sold in California stores. The state's health officials are urging the public to avoid drinking it. However, pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.

Bird flu was detected during the testing of a batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County. The milk has since been recalled at the state's request.

While no illnesses associated with the raw milk have been reported, the California Department of Public Health says consumers should immediately return any remaining product to the store where it was purchased.

State health experts have long warned against consuming raw milk products due to elevated risks of foodborne illness. Outbreaks due to Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter and other bacteria have been reported related to consuming raw dairy products.

Raw milk products are not pasteurized, a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses such as bird flu. Pasteurized milk and milk products are safe to consume because the heating process kills pathogens, including bird flu, that can cause illness, according to health experts.

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Laboratory has been testing raw milk products from retail stores as a second line of consumer protection. The county identified bird flu in one sample of a Raw Milk product purchased at a retail outlet. The testing was then verified by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.

2. How Many Cases In CA?

The Golden State has reported 29 confirmed cases of bird flu since early October. The majority of those cases have come from infected cows, according to CDPH. Of the cases, 28 had direct contact with cows, and displayed mild symptoms, typically eye infections. None required hospitalization, the state said.

Nationwide, 55 cases have been reported this year.

3. What Are The Symptoms?

• Eye redness or discharge
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Trouble breathing
• Fever

Anyone who has consumed a recalled product and is experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact a health care provider.

4. How Will Bird Flu Affect Consumer Prices?

A spike in avian flu may contribute to already increasing egg prices in California, according to multiple reports.

Bird flu, which spreads through wild birds and chickens, has bedeviled farmers since 2022. The virus has forced the culling of 108 million birds since then, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported. The virus, coupled with inflation, has sent egg prices soaring.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost of eggs is up 30.4% from 2023. Food prices overall rose 2.1% over the past year.

Increased demand from holiday shoppers could impact egg supplies in local grocery stores.

“Thanksgiving (dinner) is the same price this year as last year overall, except eggs. The one little spike that we’re seeing,” Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Steward Leonard’s, a family-run northeast grocery chain with eight locations, told CNN.

5. Who Is At Risk?

Those who work directly with dairy cows, poultry, alpacas, wildlife, or raw milk are of the highest risk for contracting avian flu.

Below are examples of those at the highest risk.

Those who:

• Work with dairy cows.
• Work with poultry.
• Handle raw dairy products.
• Work in slaughterhouses.
• Work in hatcheries.
• Wildlife rehabilitation center staff and volunteers.
  
• Veterinary clinic staff.
• Pest management and animal removal personnel.
• Animal control officers and shelter staff.
• Zoo staff and volunteers.