The FDA and USDA said “the presence” of the avian influenza virus has been detected in milk, but both agencies said the U.S. milk supply remains safe because of pasteurization.
Raw milk, on the other hand, poses a threat, the extent of which the agencies have not determined. The agencies “recommend that industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese, made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses.”
USDA is monitoring animals to detect any spread of the virus to beef cattle, but “to date, we have received no reports of symptoms in beef herds.”
The presence of inactivated virus has been one of the “other shoes” waiting to drop since avian influenza was detected in dairy cows in March. Bird flu has caused the deaths or destruction of millions of poultry birds this year. But, according to dairy farmers and veterinarians reporting to the agencies on affected herds, most infected cows recover within two to three weeks.
“Based on the information currently available, our commercial milk supply is safe because of these two reasons: 1) the pasteurization process and 2) the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows,” the FDA said.
In indirectly acknowledging that the virus has been detected in milk, FDA noted, “Based on available information, pasteurization is likely to inactivate the virus, however the process is not expected to remove the presence of viral particles. Therefore, some of the samples collected have indicated the presence of HPAI,” highly pathogenic avian influenza.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” FDA concluded. “Results from multiple studies will be made available in the next few days to weeks.”
