Federal officials have announced that tests of commercially available milk have detected traces of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The announcement comes amid a national outbreak of the disease among dairy cows. However, officials and experts emphasize that the risk to the public remains low and that there is no evidence of infectious virus in pasteurized milk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has detected fragments of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in some samples of milk. However, the agency emphasizes that these fragments are not infectious and pose no increased risk to human health. The FDA conducted testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and found the presence of viral fragments in the milk samples. Experts believe that pasteurization likely inactivates the virus, but it does not remove the viral particles. The FDA and other agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), continue to monitor the situation and conduct studies to assess the potential risks. Currently, the risk to the general population is considered low, and the commercial milk supply remains safe due to pasteurization and other safety measures.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has detected particles of bird flu in samples of consumer milk in the United States, indicating the spread of the H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). While the FDA claims pasteurization should inactivate the virus, traces of viral particles have been found in milk from affected animals, processing systems, and store shelves. The National Milk Producers Federation and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have expressed concern over the presence of milk from sick cows in the market, emphasizing that only milk from healthy animals should be distributed for human consumption. The USDA has reported bird flu cases in 33 dairy cow herds across eight states, sparking concerns about the widespread nature of the infection. The FDA and USDA recommend avoiding raw milk as the situation evolves, with further updates expected in the coming weeks.
