Traces of the H5N1 virus have been found in pasteurized milk from cows contaminated with avian flu. American health authorities say that consuming these dairy products poses little risk.
- Traces of the H5N1 virus, responsible for avian flu, have been found in pasteurized milk marketed in the United States.
- According to American health authorities, the consumption of pasteurized milk remains safe.
- In the United States, a man contracted bird flu from infected cows.
Pasteurized milk contains traces of the avian flu virus, called H5N1. The Food and Drug Administration, the American administration responsible for food safety, announced this in a communicated, published on Tuesday April 23. Traces of the virus have been found in marketed milk.
Avian flu: traces of the virus in marketed milk
“The presence of the virus has been detected in raw milk, specifies its press release. Based on available information, pasteurization inactivates the virus, but the process is not expected to remove all virus particles. Therefore, some of the samples collected indicated the presence of IHP using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests..” The administration indicates that these tests do not detect “real virus”“which may present a risk to consumers”. As they are very sensitive, they can reveal the presence of remains of the virus, although killed by pasteurization.
United States: Is milk safe to drink?
“To date, we have not seen anything that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” announces the FDA. At the same time, she affirms that a protocol is in place so that milk from contaminated cows is destroyed or diverted from use for human consumption. “Additionally, pasteurization has continually been shown to inactivate bacteria and viruses, such as influenza viruses, in milk, continues the FDA in its press release. Pasteurization is required for all milk entering interstate commerce.” According to its data, 99% of milk marketed in the country follows state recommendations in terms of pasteurization.
Can humans get bird flu?
Other tests are underway, including egg viability studies, which consist of testing the replication of a virus in an embryonated chicken egg, and considered a “gold standard” to check the viability of a virus according to the FDA. These new examinations will confirm that these traces of virus do not constitute a danger for humans. Results should be available in several days or weeks.
Since the first cases of bird flu in cows were detected in the United States in late March, one case has been recorded: a farm worker working on a dairy farm. According to initial hypotheses, he was contaminated by milking machines and developed a mild form of the disease, similar to conjunctivitis.
According to theWorld Health Organization, the infection can cause mild flu-like symptoms or eye inflammation, but it can take more serious forms, such as severe acute respiratory illness. “The severity of the disease depends on the virus causing the infection and the characteristics of the infected person.she warns.
Since 2003, 888 human cases of H5N1 virus infection have been recorded worldwide, including 463 deaths.
