California dairy cows, milking machines linked to coronavirus outbreak

A California dairy farm has been linked to an outbreak of coronaviruses, the first reported case of the virus among milk and honey production workers, state health officials said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that a dairy farm in northern California was identified as the first known site of the coronaviral-like virus linked to human exposure.

The farm in Lathrop, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Sacramento, was reported to have received two samples of the respiratory virus that is spread from person to person through close contact, according to a news release.

The outbreak, first reported Feb. 14, is believed to have begun Feb. 10 in the farm, where the outbreak is thought to have spread among farm workers.

Authorities in Lattimore County, home to Lathrope Dairy, have been contacted about the outbreak.