Bird Flu Traces Found in 20% of Retail Milk Samples

Facts

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday that about one in five retail milk samples contain traces of highly contagious bird flu.¹
• However, the FDA said that the virus fragments detected may not be infectious and that pasteurized milk products remain safe to consume.²
• The agency tested samples from 297 retail dairy products from 38 states to determine the presence of the bird flu virus and evaluate the effectiveness of the pasteurization process.³
• The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in over three dozen herds across nine states, and the FDA warns that if the virus spreads, there could be considerable ecological and economic consequences.⁴
• Furthermore, the FDA warned against drinking raw milk. Earlier this year, a Texas dairy worker was confirmed to have been infected with the H5N1 strain after coming in contact with an infected cow.⁵
• Though the H5N1 virus has a relatively high fatality rate, it reportedly doesn't transmit easily among people. However, if it mutates, animal-to-human or human-to-human transmission could be faster.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²USA Today, ³U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ⁴Independent, ⁵The Hill and ⁶NBC.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Raw Story. Despite detecting the bird flu virus in a significant portion of samples, the US milk supply remains safe, as the detected virus is inactive. This is largely due to the effectiveness of pasteurization, a process that the FDA's research underscores as crucial in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
• Narrative B, as provided by NPR Online News. While the perceived risk of H5N1 in retail milk may be low, it's important to note that the outbreak is novel, and testing is still in the early stages. Therefore, it's premature to conclude with absolute certainty that milk on retail shelves is free from the infectious virus. Continued vigilance and caution is needed.

Predictions