In an unexpected turn of events, researchers have identified traces of the bird flu virus in pasteurized cow milk in the United States. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), during a routine safety analysis, the virus was found in milk supplies. This discovery has raised concerns about whether bird flu can now spread to humans through milk.
However, officials have reassured the public that the risk of bird flu transmission through contaminated food is very low. Testing and analyses confirmed that the pasteurization process, which involves heating the milk, effectively deactivates the virus.
Moreover, an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), specifically the H5N1 variant, has been spreading among poultry in the U.S., with a few cases even reaching domestic animals. One person was confirmed to have contracted the virus, though they exhibited only mild symptoms. The impact on the infected animals was minimal, but the poultry industry has suffered significantly, with millions of birds dying from the virus.
