State agriculture officials on Thursday barred Fresno-based Raw Farm from distributing its raw milk products to retailers amid ongoing concerns about bird flu infections among its cows.
However, with the exception of two limited recalls announced in the past few days, products from the farm that are already on store shelves may remain available for sale.
The ban comes days after conflicting test results by different state and local health agencies, where public health departments found positive samples of raw bottled milk on store shelves, while state agriculture officials did not find the virus in bulk milk tests. .
On Thursday, the California Department of Agriculture contacted the owner of Raw Farm LLC, Mark McAfee, and ordered him to stop all sales to the dealers.
“Once raw milk disappears from the shops, it will be the same,” he said.
According to McAfee, neither the agriculture nor health department has recalled any products other than those involved in a limited recall made last week that included quarter-gallon “cream top” whole milk products.
McAfee confirmed to The Times that his cattle had the H5N1 bird flu virus. He said he did not know that the cows had the disease until this week because “they are so healthy that they do not show any signs or symptoms of the past.” Mostly all asymptomatic. “
He said two or three of his 1,800 cows were infected with the virus on October 10, but he said they did not have the virus. He said that he removed those cows from the herd.
It is not clear how long the cattle were isolated, or whether a veterinarian or other specialist tested the animals for H5N1.
He said that most of the milk tests done by the Ministry of Agriculture in the state have been negative.
“Obviously, we have some asymptomatic shedders at very low levels,” McAfee said.
He said he had previously had fever in his cattle in August. He also said, the virus was not confirmed in the herd at that time.
He said he monitors each cow in his farms with a device that sits on the cow’s udder and sends real information about the animal’s body temperature, milk acidity, etc.
Last week, Santa Clara County public health investigators tested a sample of raw milk they received at the store. That sample tested positive for H5N1 bird flu. The public health department immediately confirmed the findings and Raw Farm recalled a certain batch that had already come off the shelves.
Meanwhile, the government’s agriculture department, which regularly tests Raw Farm milk products, has continued to get negative results – leaving infectious disease experts baffled.
On Wednesday, Santa Clara County public health officials announced a second batch of H5N1 milk from Raw Farm. They made the announcement hours after agricultural investigators swept two Raw Farm herds, creameries, trucks and a milk tank for samples.
According to McAfee, some samples collected by state officials were also tested for the presence of the drug.
Inquiries to the state’s agriculture and health departments, which were closed during the Thanksgiving holiday, were not answered Friday.
On Wednesday, health officials from the LA County Department of Public Health expanded their list of stores that may carry raw milk products.
Unfazed by the positive test and the possibility of selling raw milk products contaminated with the bird flu virus, McAfee told The Times that he is urging consumers to “come to the store. Soon!”
The extent of the risk to consumers of raw milk is unclear. So far, 55 Americans have been infected with H5N1 bird flu this year; these were dairy and poultry workers who may have been infected by being close to animals and not by eating contaminated products.
In two of those cases, the source has not been identified, including an Alameda County child who was diagnosed earlier this month.
In addition, a teenager from British Columbia was infected more than two weeks ago and has been in critical condition ever since.
McAfee said immunity among his cows is his goal, and that once it’s clear he can stock store shelves again, “all of our raw milk will have HPAI H5N1 antibodies.” That’s great!”
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