Federal health officials have confirmed that pasteurization effectively kills the bird flu virus in milk and baby formula, providing reassurance about the safety of pasteurized dairy products even as the outbreak continues to spread.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that preliminary PCR testing showed pasteurization successfully eliminated the virus. This comes as Colorado became the 9th state to detect the H5N1 virus in a dairy herd, underscoring the widening nature of the outbreak.
Lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to strengthen its response, after tests found one in five U.S. commercial milk samples contained remnants of the virus. An analysis of USDA data also suggests the outbreak may be more widespread than the 34 officially reported infected herds in 9 states.
Genetic sequencing indicates the virus infecting a Texas farm worker is significantly different from the samples taken from infected cattle, implying a longstanding and more extensive epidemic. Experts say the overall public health risk remains low, but is higher for those with direct exposure to infected animals.
There are calls to reauthorize legislation aimed at boosting the nation’s preparedness for pandemics and other health threats, in light of the bird flu’s spread and the detection of the virus in milk products.