CDC Can’t Confirm Suspected Bird Flu Case Tied to Raw Milk

December 16, 2024 | Source: MedPage Today | by Nicole Lou

CDC could not confirm what was suspected to have been the first H5N1 bird flu case linked to raw milk consumption.

The patient, a child in Marin County, California, experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk, as reported last week. The child initially tested positive for influenza A, with the local lab unable to find evidence of person-to person transmission between the child and her family members.

The State Laboratory and the CDC conducted additional testing, “but due to low levels of viral RNA, they were unable to confirm whether the influenza A virus present was H5N1 (avian influenza) or seasonal influenza,” according to the Marin County public health department.

“The sample was negative for all flu targets,” Kevin Griffis, director of the CDC’s office of communications, told STAT on Thursday.