Marin County health officials said Tuesday that a toddler who may have had avian flu had eaten raw milk before getting sick.
According to Dr. Lisa Santora, the county’s public health officer, the county is currently awaiting test results to determine if the child has seasonal flu or avian flu. However, health officials are cautioning the public to stay away from unpasteurized milk because the avian flu has spread from birds to cows.
Human bird flu cases are rare, but outbreaks in US dairy cattle and poultry farms are still happening, according to Santora. Since bird flu seldom spreads from person to person, there is still little risk to the general public.
The county said the child who drank raw milk became unwell while visiting Marin during Thanksgiving. The toddler vomited and had a temperature.
The county is awaiting results from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after preliminary state and local avian flu testing were inconclusive.
According to a statement released by the Marin public health office on Tuesday, the youngster has recovered and no other family members have been ill, suggesting that there has been no person-to-person transmission. This year, 32 confirmed cases of avian flu have been reported in California. Although isolated incidences are anticipated, the majority of bird flu infections in the United States have been found among poultry and dairy workers who have come into contact with sick animals.
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