HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that viral fragments of the H5N1 bird flu have been detected in 1 in 5 pasteurized milk samples.
Positive results from the FDA’s commercial milk sampling study show the viral fragments come from milk in areas with infected herds.
Since March, bird flu detections have spread to dairy cows and herds in Texas, Kansas, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and South Dakota.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a federal order earlier this week stating any dairy cows transported from one farm to another across state lines should be tested for bird flu to minimize the viral spread.
FDA officials state that the positive bird flu detection in milk does not pose a threat and is safe to consume.
“Pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk,” the FDA said. “Even if virus is detected in raw milk, pasteurization is generally expected to eliminate pathogens to a level that does not pose a risk to consumer health.”
The FDA says to date retail milk studies have shown the commercial milk supply is safe.
