County health officials caution against raw milk

County public health officials are warning San Diegans not to eat or drink raw milk products or give them to their pets be­cause of the heightened risk for H5N1, or bird flu.

Because raw milk and raw milk products are not pasteur­ized, they can contain harmful pathogens including H5N1 or bacteria like salmonella, toxin producing E. coli. and listeria. All of these can cause severe ill­ness, hospitalization and even death, especially in people who are immunocompromised, the very young and pregnant wom­en.

The health warning extends to pet products containing raw milk. Dogs and cats can get sick if these products contain harm­ful bacteria or viruses. People also should also be mindful of keeping their pets away from sick or dead birds outside. The Los Angeles County Depart­ment of Public Health has con­firmed two cases of H5 bird flu in cats that consumed recalled raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC.

Pasteurization is a heat treat­ment process. Pasteurized milk and other pasteurized dairy products are safe to consume because the heat treatment kills bacteria and other pathogens like the bird flu but otherwise does not change the product.

Even before the emergence of bird flu in California, San Diego County public health epidemi­ologists have linked other ill­nesses to raw milk, including in 2023 when a series of salmo­nella cases were reported after consuming raw milk from a pro­ducer in Fresno.

California Gov. Gavin New­som declared a State of Emer­gency to strengthen the state’s response and preparedness for bird flu. The California Depart­ment of Public Health reports 34 confirmed cases statewide in humans and says the current risk remains low to for the pub­lic.

Bird flu or H5N1 is a highly contagious virus that can sicken or kill birds and other animals. While rare, it can be spread to people when the virus gets in someone’s eyes, nose or mouth, or when it is inhaled.

County Public Health Ser­vices is monitoring the emer­gence of H5N1 flu types in co­ordination with health partners at the federal and state level. The County also is in commu­nication with local veterinar­ians and healthcare providers. No cases in humans have been reported in San Diego County. The County continues to moni­tor influenza strains through its robust influenza surveil­lance system.

Those most at risk for bird flu are farm or wildlife work­ers who may be around infected animals.

The County has made person­al protective equipment avail­able to eligible farms, wildlife groups and animal control of­ficers. While the seasonal influ­enza vaccine does not protect against bird flu, everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of serious ill­ness.