Bird flu remnants found in milk, FDA says
(NEXSTAR) – Inactive fragments of the bird flu virus that has sickened dairy herds in eight states have been detected in pasteurized milk, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stressed that the remnants "do not represent actual virus" and therefore don't pose a health risk to consumers.
"To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe," the FDA wrote, citing the pasteurization process and the "diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows."
Scientists say there’s no evidence to suggest that people can contract the virus by consuming food that’s been pasteurized, or heat-treated — or properly cooked.
“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus and the FDA is following up on that,” said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University.
The FDA has been testing samples nationwide, but officials did not say where the positive samples were from.
As of Tuesday evening, the virus, known as Type A H5N1, has been found in dairy cows in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and South Dakota.
While the virus has caused mass deaths in wild bird and other animal populations – even killing thousands of sea lions in South America – the most common symptoms in dairy cows have included decreased lactation and low appetite, according to the FDA.
Two people in U.S. have been infected with bird flu to date. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he also recovered.
Federal officials say they continue to confirm the effectiveness of pasteurization as they test milk at various steps in the production process, including samples from store shelves.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Date: | |
Tag: | FDA |
Topics
Filter
More from The Hill
-
Jeffries: Democrats 'effectively' in majority due to GOP 'chaos, dysfunction'
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said “chaos” and “dysfunction” in the House GOP has “effectively” given Democrats the majority, lending credence to far-right criticism of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the GOP majority slims. ...The Hill - Politics -
'If Roe v. Wade can fall, anything can fall,' says Jeffries in stressing importance of elections
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emphasized the stakes of the 2024 election in a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday, warning that much more than abortion rights are at risk if former President Trump gets a second term. He told CBS’ ...The Hill - Politics -
Kim Godwin out at ABC News
Kim Godwin is leaving as the head of ABC News, she announced to employees on Sunday evening. Godwin is retiring after what she called a time of “considerable reflection," she wrote in a note obtained by The Hill. In another note to staff, Debra ...The Hill - Politics -
Biden administration pauses ammunition shipment to Israel: Report
The Biden administration halted a shipment of ammunition bound for Israel last week, Axios first reported, as pressure rises over the Israeli military’s promised invasion of Rafah in Gaza. Israeli officials were left scrambling as to why the ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to launch first crewed mission
Boeing’s first crewed mission of its Starliner spacecraft is set to launch Monday night, a milestone for the aerospace manufacturer. The Starliner is scheduled to lift off at about 10:30 p.m. Monday, weather permitting, carrying two NASA ...The Hill - Politics