Remnants of Bird Flu virus found in pasteurized milk

FDA warns about Bird Flu Virus found in pasteurized milk

The US Food and Drug Administration recently said that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu. The agency revealed that the virus infected dairy cows and was found in the milk, but this is an inactive virus that "does not represent an actual virus that may be a risk to consumers."

Officials added that this issue is still being continually researched and studied. Experts stress that nothing could change their assessments of whether the commercial milk supply is safe. This report, however, is worrying because it comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows^[1].

These virus materials were detected in dairy cows in at least eight different states. At the time of initial reports about the problem, the Agriculture Department said that 33 herds had been affected.

'No evidence' of infections or active virus

The FDA has not released official reports about the risk to consumers. Experts have not revealed how many samples they tested or whether they were obtained. However, the agency has been evaluating milk from grocery stores and samples taken during processing^[2].

The next few weeks should reveal more results from those investigations and tests. According to Lee-Ann Jaykus, a retired expert in food microbiology and virology from North Carolina State University, the PCR lab test that the FDA used can detect virus genes even if the live virus is killed by heating.

Jaykus explained that there is no proof that the virus found is harmful, and the FDA is looking into it. The FDA and the USDA have said that milk from the affected cows did not get into the stores. Usually, milk from sick cows is thrown away. Federal laws also require milk sold across states to be heated to kill germs.

The FDA mentioned that finding the bird flu virus, Type A H5N1, in cows is new, and they are still studying what heating does to the virus. However, past studies suggest that this heating process likely kills viruses like H5N1.

Matt Herrick from the International Dairy Foods Association said that the rules for heating milk make sure it is safe to drink. Even if tiny parts of the virus remain, they are not harmful to people. Scientists found the H5N1 virus in cows in March after noticing that cows in Texas were unusually tired and producing less milk. While this virus can kill birds, most cows get better in about two weeks^[3].

People can get bird flu, but it is possible to recover from it

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a type of flu that mainly affects birds, but it can also infect humans and other animals. It's caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.

Bird flu viruses are highly contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, like chickens and turkeys, very sick and even cause death. These viruses come in different types, and some strains are worse than others. For example, the particular H5N1 strain has caused serious outbreaks in the past.

Humans can catch bird flu by close contact with infected birds or bird droppings. This can happen during handling, slaughtering, butchering, and preparing poultry for cooking. However, bird flu doesn't easily pass from person to person; most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from direct contact with infected birds.

So far, two people in the U.S. have caught the bird flu. A dairy worker in Texas got a mild eye infection but has gotten better. In 2022, a prisoner caught the virus while handling infected birds and felt very tired, but he also recovered. The danger of bird flu is that it can cause severe respiratory problems in humans, such as pneumonia, and can be fatal.

There's also a risk that the virus could change or mutate, making it easier to spread from person to person, potentially leading to a pandemic. However, so far, sustained human-to-human transmission has not occurred. Prevention measures include avoiding contact with sick or dead birds in areas with bird flu outbreaks, cooking poultry and eggs thoroughly, and wearing protective gear when handling birds if you're in the poultry industry.

Health authorities also monitor bird flu outbreaks closely to manage risks and prevent the spread of the virus. As of now, these virus material findings in milk do not pose any danger to consumers unless experts reveal more details in the upcoming weeks.