California child possibly infected with bird flu after drinking raw milk, health officials say

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. -- Marin County health officials say a child with a suspected bird flu infection drank raw milk before getting sick.

Officials say the child experienced symptoms, including a fever and vomiting, after drinking the potentially contaminated milk. The child has recovered, and no other family members have gotten sick.

An investigation is ongoing as it's still not clear whether people can become infected with bird flu from drinking raw milk.

This case is one of two human infections being investigated in the Bay Area, as officials are still working to understand how another child in Alameda County fell ill. The Centers for Disease Control has ruled out raw milk as a source but has not yet identified how this child was exposed.

California health officials recently announced recalls from the Fresno County-based dairy RAW FARM after its products tested positive for the virus. The USDA has also ordered testing across the nation's raw milk supply to track the spread of the bird flu.

There have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu reported in California this year. Most cases have been reported from poultry and dairy workers who have been exposed to sick animals.

The CDC continues to warn against drinking raw milk, which has not undergone the pasteurization process that kills potentially dangerous germs.