An alarming 14% of raw milk samples taken from states with dairy herd outbreaks contained infectious H5N1 bird flu, according to new testing results released by the FDA.
The researchers took 275 milk samples from bulk storage tanks on farms in four states where dairy cattle are confirmed to be infected by H5N1. The virus was actually detected in 57.5% of the samples, with further testing showing that a quarter of these contained infectious virus.
The results were published in a preprint paper, which has not yet been peer reviewed by external experts for scientific rigor. However, the paper has sparked a significant response from experts around the world, reiterating the dangers of consuming raw milk. The researchers also artificially spiked milk with infectious H5N1 virus, before heat treating it in a process designed to mimic pasteurization, which the standard commercial milk supply goes through before sale, finding that the process was very effective at inactivating the virus. “These findings demonstrate that the milk supply is safe,” the researchers stated.