Federal officials have announced that tests of commercially available milk have detected traces of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a contagious and often fatal disease among avian populations. The announcement comes amid a national outbreak of the disease among dairy cows, but officials and experts emphasize that the risk to the public remains low and that there is no evidence of infectious virus in pasteurized milk.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tests conducted on retail milk samples showed the presence of genetic material from the virus. However, efforts to grow the virus from these samples indicated that it was not infectious or “alive.” Pasteurization, a process used to kill harmful bacteria and viruses in milk, is believed to have inactivated the virus, although studies specifically on whether pasteurization inactivates bird flu in cow’s milk have not been conducted.
The FDA has encouraged consumers not to drink raw, unpasteurized milk but has emphasized that pasteurized milk is safe to consume. Federal regulations prohibit the sale of milk from infected cows, and all milk sold via interstate commerce in the U.S. is required to be pasteurized. The more pressing concern, experts say, is protecting individuals like farm workers who may come into close contact with infected animals.
In an attempt to further contain the outbreak, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced an order requiring dairy cows to test negative for bird flu before they can be moved across state lines.
