The United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it found fragments of the H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, in some pasteurized milk samples.
The bird flu outbreak in cows in the United States, first reported on March 25, has now spread to at least 33 herds in eight states. Fragments of bird flu virus have been seen in pasteurized milk for the first time.
The FDA states that pasteurization will inactivate the bird flu virus: “Based on current information, pasteurization is likely to inactivate the virus, but the practice is not expected to eliminate the presence of viral particles.“
According to The New York Times, although authorities said that pasteurized milk was safe, the latest development raised concerns about the actual extent of the epidemic. Rick Bright, a bird flu expert who works on US President Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, thinks that it is a critical stage for a human to have a case of bird flu so far. Bright, “There is a fine line between one person and 10 people with H5n1. “When the virus is detected in 10 people, it will probably be too late to control it.” said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a federal notice requiring mandatory testing of cows crossing state lines to prevent the spread of bird flu. But it is still unknown how the disease spread among herds.
Tags: Bird flu virus pasteurized milk
