H5N1 bird flu
Last content update: 12/30/24
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department recommends that people do not consume or feed their animals raw milk or raw milk products.
Raw milk and cream products from Raw Farm, LLC were recalled after bird flu virus was detected in products at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites. Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Cow Milk and Desi Milk Raw Cow Milk were recalled after bird flu virus was detected in a raw milk bulk tank at the dairy farm. Northwest Naturals raw and frozen turkey pet food was recalled after samples tested positive for bird flu virus.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is monitoring a multi-state outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cows that has led to cases in humans, primarily dairy and poultry workers.
To date, there have been no reported cases of H5N1 bird flu in cows or humans in Santa Clara County.
What is H5N1 bird flu?
H5N1 bird flu is a specific subtype of influenza virus that is widespread in wild birds. H5N1 bird flu is also called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). H5N1 bird flu can infect wild birds, poultry, and some mammals such as cows, cats, and humans. To date, there has been no confirmed human-to-human spread of H5N1 bird flu viruses in the United States. However, there have been cases in the United States under investigation that have not been tied to direct animal contact. Human cases caused by contact with infected animals are increasing, and spread of the virus may lead to changes that make it easier for humans to get infected or enable it to spread from human-to-human.
H5N1 bird flu was first detected among cows in California in August 2024. H5N1 bird flu was first detected among humans in California in October 2024. For more information, including the number of reported cow herds affected by H5N1 bird flu and the number of reported human H5N1 bird flu cases in California and the rest of the United States, visit the CDC’s H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary webpage.
What is the Public Health Department doing?
Testing raw milk products
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department has been testing raw milk sold at local retail stores and reporting all detections to state authorities.
On November 21 and 26, the County’s Public Health Laboratory identified bird flu virus in samples of raw milk produced by Raw Farm, LLC and purchased at retail outlets in Santa Clara County. On December 12, bird flu virus was identified in raw milk labeled “Desi Milk” and produced by Valley Milk Simply Bottled purchased at a retail outlet in Santa Clara County. In all three instances the County immediately notified the California Department of Public Health, and test results were independently confirmed by the state. Raw milk and cream products from Raw Farm, LLC were recalled in early December. Raw milk from Valley Milk Simply Bottled was recalled on December 14.
Sharing information
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is working with health and agriculture partners at the local and state level to ensure stakeholders get accurate information to best protect the health of the community. The Public Health Department shares information with agricultural workers on how to identify sick animals and protect themselves from infection. This is part of the Department’s ongoing work to ensure community safety by preparing in advance for various diseases, even before there are cases here.
Testing and monitoring for presence of H5 influenza
The Public Health Department is collecting human influenza samples from healthcare facilities for further testing. This testing can identify if samples contain H5 influenza or a common human influenza strain. As of the latest update, there have been no H5 influenza detections in these human samples from Santa Clara County residents.
The Department is monitoring wastewater testing results from the national WastewaterSCAN program. To view data on wastewater testing for the H5 influenza subtype in the four Santa Clara County sewersheds, refer to the WastewaterSCAN Dashboard. For data on the level of all influenza virus detected in wastewater in Santa Clara County, refer to the Respiratory virus data dashboard. These dashboards indicate the level of influenza virus particles present in wastewater, but do not indicate how the virus was introduced into the wastewater.
What can you do?
The current risk to the general public from H5N1 bird flu is unknown. Risk for dairy workers is likely increasing throughout California, as more infected dairy herds are being reported in counties outside of Santa Clara County. People should follow these recommendations:
Get your seasonal flu shot
The seasonal flu shot protects against the other strains of influenza currently circulating in the community. Getting your seasonal flu shot decreases the likelihood you'll get sick this winter. It also decreases the likelihood of getting both H5N1 bird flu and seasonal flu at the same time, which could allow the virus to change in ways that enable it to spread from human-to-human.
Do not consume raw milk and follow food safety guidelines
- Do not prepare or eat unpasteurized (raw) milk or raw cheese. Pasteurization kills harmful germs by heating milk to a specific temperature. Raw milk and cheese have not gone through this germ-killing pasteurization process.
Recent detections of bird flu virus in raw milk and related product recalls increase the concerns around eating and drinking raw milk products. It is not known whether humans can get sick with H5N1 bird flu after consuming raw milk products contaminated with the virus. Animal studies indicate infection is possible if contaminated products are consumed, inhaled, or splashed on the eyes or nose. For more information about how raw milk can make you sick, visit the CDC’s Raw Milk webpage.
- Do not feed raw or undercooked animal products, including unpasteurized milk, to pets. Cats in California recently got sick and died after consuming recalled raw milk, and a cat in Oregon died after consuming recalled raw frozen pet food. According to the CDC, while it is unlikely for a person to get sick with bird flu through contact with an infected pet, it is possible. For more information, refer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ways to Reduce Risk of HPAI in Cats webpage or the CDC’s What Causes Bird Flu in Pets and Other Animals webpage.
- Cook beef and poultry products, including eggs, to the right temperature. For more information on minimal internal temperatures, refer to the CDC’s instructions on preparing and consuming food.
Avoid contact with wild birds and sick or dead animals
- Avoid contact with wild birds and keep pets away from wild birds.
- Do not touch surfaces or materials such as animal litter or bedding material contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from sick or dead animals with confirmed or suspected H5N1 bird flu infection.
- Avoid unprotected exposures to sick or dead animals. If you find a sick or dead animal, do not attempt to touch or handle the animal with bare hands or clothing.
- Report dead birds to the California Dead Bird Hotline at (877) 968-2473.
- For other dead animals, contact your local animal control authority.
- If you come in contact with wild birds, bird feces, or other animals, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately with warm water and soap.
If you have job-related or recreational exposure to infected animals, including wild birds, poultry, and dairy cows, you are at greater risk of being exposed to H5N1 bird flu. These jobs may include farmers or workers on poultry and dairy farms, slaughterhouse workers, backyard bird flock owners, veterinarians and veterinary staff, and emergency responders. In addition to the recommendations above, you should:
- Call your doctor if you feel sick. Symptoms of H5N1 bird flu can include cough, sore throat, fever, and red or watery eyes.
- Get your seasonal flu vaccine. Everyone - especially workers at risk for exposure to bird flu - should get a seasonal flu vaccine. Although the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against bird flu, it can decrease the risk of being infected with both viruses at the same time and reduce the chance of severe illness from seasonal flu.
- For workers: Follow CDC recommendations to protect yourself from H5N1 bird flu at work.
- For employers: Follow all CDC recommendations for worker protection to reduce risk of infection.
- For backyard flock owners: Follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Defend the Flock recommendations. If you think birds in your flock may have bird flu, follow CDC recommendations to protect yourself.
- For organizations that work with wildlife: Follow the California Department of Public Health’s H5N1 Bird Flu: Working With Wildlife recommendations.
| Avian Influenza Fact Sheet - English | Spanish | Vietnamese |
| H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) |
| FDA Outlines Ways to Reduce Risk of HPAI in Cats (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) |
| Get help finding health insurance and applying for financial assistance |
| Educational flyer for agricultural workers - English | Spanish |
| Avian Influenza Updates (California Department of Food and Agriculture) |
| Poultry Products Transportation (California Department of Food and Agriculture) |