San Diego Warns Against Raw Milk Products Amid Bird Flu Risk

 

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.