Health
officials
from
California
warned
on
the
dangers
of
acquiring
breast
milk
outside
of
vetted
channels
after
multiple
infants
were
potentially
exposed
to
HIV
from
donor
milk
obtained
via
social
media.

It’s
unclear
if
infants
actually
drank
the
milk
in
four
of
the
five
cases,
and
they
all
tested
negative
for
HIV,
reported
Akanksha
Vaidya,
MD,
MPH,
of
the
Santa
Clara
Public
Health
Department,
and
colleagues
in


Morbidity
and
Mortality
Weekly
Report.

In
the
fifth
case,
the
family
had
never
used
the
breast
milk
and
still
had
it
kept
frozen.
This
allowed
investigators
to
test
for
HIV
antibodies,
which
turned
up
low
levels
of
virus
(<30
copies/mL),
though
the
researchers
noted
that
antibodies
don’t
necessarily
indicate
infectious
virus
or
transmission
risk.

Their
investigation
started
in
early
October
2025
when
the
Santa
Clara
Public
Health
Department
was
notified
of
a
pregnant
woman
who
received
a
positive
HIV
test
result
at
a
prenatal
screening.
At
the
time,
the
woman
was
breastfeeding
her
2-year-old
daughter
and
said
she
had
been
donating
breast
milk
through
social
media
groups
since
May
of
that
year.
(A
prenatal
test
in
2023
was
negative
for
HIV.)

Roughly
2
weeks
later,
the
woman’s
pretreatment
HIV
viral
load
was
119,000
copies/mL,
and
she
was
counseled
to
stop
breastfeeding.
Her
daughter
began
receiving
postexposure
prophylaxis
on
October
31
and
tested
negative
for
HIV
shortly
thereafter
and
again
in
January
of
this
year.

The
report,
said
Vaidya
and
co-authors,
highlights
the
risk
of
unpasteurized
breast
milk
obtained
through
social
media
—
which
can
be
contaminated
with
viruses
or
bacteria
if
improperly
stored
—
and
also
presents
an
opportunity
for
patient
education.
Accredited
milk
banks,
they
noted,
pasteurize
their
product
and
screen
donors
for
infectious
diseases
and
medications
that
can
transmit
to
infants.

While
medical
groups
such
as
the
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics

recommend
breastfeeding
for
various
health
benefits,
it’s
not
recommended
for
mothers
with
an
HIV
viral
load
of
more
than
50
copies/mL
due
to
the
risk
of
transmission.
Children
exposed
to
such
milk
are
recommended
to
get
tested
for
HIV
immediately
after
their
last
exposure,
and
at
14-21
days,
4-6
weeks,
and
4-6
months
after
the
last
breastfeeding.

The
health
department
faced
several
challenges
during
their
investigation,
Vaidya
and
colleagues
noted,
which
included
being
accepted
into
closed
social
media
groups,
facing
skepticism
from
contacted
parents,
and
being
barred
from
posting
messages
in
social
media
groups
about
safety
risks
associated
with
sharing
breast
milk
through
these
groups.

The
HIV-positive
mother
provided
the
name
of
one
parent
who
received
her
breast
milk,
and
the
investigators
were
able
to
identify
four
other
parents
through
responses
to
the
mother’s
posts.

After
being
blocked
from
the
social
media
groups
where
the
donor
had
offered
her
milk,
investigators
had
to
contact
the
four
families
through
direct
messages
on
social
media
using
newly
created
profiles
naming
the
health
department,
or
through
contact
information
from
electronic
medical
record
searches
or
public
health
databases,
Vaidya
and
colleagues
noted.
The
investigators
used
names,
phone
numbers,
birthdays,
and
photos
on
social
media
to
match
contacts
to
database
records.

In
addition
to
emphasizing
the
importance
of
patient
education
on
risks
associated
with
unpasteurized
breast
milk,
Vaidya
and
colleagues
pointed
to
the
unique
role
social
media
can
play
in
public
health
investigations.

“Despite
barriers
to
contacting
parents
who
had
received
the
donated
breast
milk,
[the
health
department]
was
able
to
identify
and
test
infants
at
highest
risk
for
potential
exposure
to
HIV,”
they
wrote.
“Social
media
groups
can
be
used
to
focus
public
health
interventions
toward
persons
informally
exchanging
breast
milk
that
has
not
been
properly
screened.”

At
the
same
time,
Vaidya
and
colleagues
noted,
“reaching
these
communities
can
be
challenging,
particularly
because
contact
through
social
media
can
appear
unofficial.”

“Social
media
presents
a
novel
means
for
disease
investigation,”
they
added,
and
“health
officials
might
benefit
from
additional
training
on
how
to
conduct
investigations
through
verified
profiles
in
such
groups.”

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