In the past month, there have been an unusual number of health alerts and warnings in California. They tend to be limited to the State, and none have occurred in Riverside County.

As a safeguard, readers should be aware of what is occurring in the State.

Whooping Cough

As of the end of September, 1,744 cases of whooping cough have been reported in California compared to 288 at the end of September 2023. In Riverside County, there were 43 reported cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, compared to a total of 14 in all of 2023.

IN 2019, there were 76 cases in the County. In the four following years, 2020 through 2023, there was a total of 72 cases, and never more than 22 in one year.

Whooping cough is a respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis and is highly contagious. It can be spread by coughing or sneezing.

Whooping cough may begin like a common cold, but unlike a cold, the coughing can last for weeks or months. People with pertussis have severe coughing attacks that can last for months. Infants too young for vaccination are at greatest risk for life-threatening cases of pertussis.

Treating whooping cough early with antibiotics may make the infection less serious. There are vaccines for whooping cough, too

Bird Flu

On Nov. 22, the federal Centers for Disease Control confirmed that a child had the first case of bird flu in California. This was confirmed as avian influenza H5 virus. The infection caused mild symptoms in the child who received flu antivirals.

While all the family members reported symptoms, testing proved negative for all.

She was an Almeda County resident, and this was the second case detected in the United States. The CDC stated that it will closely monitor available data from influenza surveillance systems. The emphasis will be watching states affected by outbreaks in animals. This includes California where widespread outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu have been detected in wild birds and domestic poultry since 2022 and dairy herds since August 2024

Limited and sporadic human infections with avian influenza H5N1 virus, where animal exposure was not identified, are very uncommon but have occurred. While the CDC’s risk assessment for the general public is low, 55 human cases of H5 bird flu have now been reported in the United States during 2024, with 29 in California.

The California Department of Public Health has issued two warnings, the latest was Nov. 27, to Californians to not consume cream top raw milk produced and packaged by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County. The CDPH is concerned about possible bird flu because the virus has been detected in a two retail samples.

The CDPH stressed no human bird flu cases associated with the product have been detected. Nevertheless, at the CDPH’s request, the company has issued a voluntary recall of the affected milk lot code number 20241119 with a Best By date of 12/07/2024 printed on the packaging.

Listeria

The CDC has also reported an outbreak of listeria in four states, including California. Eleven people have been infected. Nine required hospital aid and one child in California has died.

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a recall of approximately 72,240 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food, Inc., a Spartanburg, SC, establishment. Examples of recalled foods include pork hock, chicken feet, pork feet, duck neck, beef shank, and pork tongue. Questions about the recall should be directed to the USDA-FSIS.

All ready-to-eat products produced prior to October 28, 2024, are subject to recall. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-46684” or “EST. M46684” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Their shelf life that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the FSIS. The initial recall notice was issued on November 9.

If you have any of these products, the CDC emphasizes that you do not eat them and recommends that you throw them away or return them to where you bought them. Also, importantly, clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled foods. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

“Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected,” according to the FSIS press release.

“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.”

Human Flu

On Oct. 22, the Riverside County University Health System reported, “An elderly man from eastern Coachella Valley . . . as the first individual in Riverside County to die from flu-associated causes for the 2024-25 flu season, which typically runs from October to April.”

“Now is the time to be aware of the dangers that influenza can present to our communities and do what we can to reduce the risk of getting or spreading the flu to others,” said Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung.

One of the most important and successful actions against influenza is getting vaccinated, Leung urged everyone over 6 months of age should receive the flu vaccine.

Salmonella

And just Friday, Nov. 29, the CDC reported a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella. No one has died, but 68 individuals were infected and 18 needed hospital aid. This has occurred in 19 states, including California, which has seen less than three cases reported.

In Montana, there have been 16 cases reported and between seven to nine cases in Colorado and Oregon.

According to the CDC, “Epidemiologic and traceback information shows that cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce, LLC, may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick.

“On November 27, 2024, SunFed Produce LLC. recalled all sizes of whole fresh American cucumbers packaged in bulk cardboard containers for retail or food service,” the CDC said. And urged anyone with these cucumbers not to eat them but throw them out.

Within 6 hours or days of consuming the salmonella bacteria, individuals may have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. This could last between four and seven days. Most people can recover without treatment, but some may need a hospital.

Mpox

The CDPH has identified through laboratory testing the first known case of clade I mpox in the United States. This case was confirmed in an individual who recently traveled from Africa and is related to the ongoing outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa.

The CDPH stressed “there is no concern or evidence that mpox clade I is currently spreading between individuals in California or the United States.” The risk to the general public is low, according to the CDPH.

The affected individual received health care in San Mateo County based on their travel history and symptoms. The individual is isolated at home and recovering.

According to the CDPH, clade I has historically caused more severe illness than clade II, however, recent infections from clade I mpox may not be as clinically severe as in previous outbreaks, especially when cases have access to quality medical care.