FDA: Bird flu found in 1/5 commercial milk samples, suggests greater spread

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday, April 25, that one in five commercial milk samples tested in a nationwide survey contained particles of the H5N1 virus. The announcement suggests that the outbreak of bird flu might have deeply penetrated the dairy industry across the United States.

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Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said that the finding is significant, stating that the virus appears to have “saturated” dairy cattle through the country.

Samuel Alcaine, an associate professor of food science at Cornell University, echoed Osterholm’s sentiment, saying that the virus’s discovery in more commercial milk suggests higher numbers of cattle have H5N1.

Currently, eight U.S. states have confirmed bird flu cases in 33 herds. However, Alcaine said, “33 is a really small number. It makes it seem like there is definitely more spread out there.”

While the commercialized milk did test positive for remnants of the bird flu, the FDA maintains that the pasteurization process likely deactivates the virus. The agency said that further testing is necessary to confirm the assumption.

While the virus remains mainly confined to animals, health officials advise against drinking raw or unpasteurized milk, emphasizing the importance of pasteurization as a preventative measure. Only one person, a Texas farm worker, has tested positive for bird flu in the U.S. during this outbreak. The worker has since recovered.

The latest findings by the FDA come after the United States Department of Agriculture announced it will be testing dairy herds that cross state lines, starting on Monday, April 29.