The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted tests on retail dairy products to check for the presence of a highly pathogenic avian flu strain amid an outbreak among dairy cow herds. The agency announced that all 297 retail dairy samples, including fluid milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, and powdered infant formula, have tested negative for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu.
This reaffirms the FDA’s assessment that America’s pasteurized milk supply is safe, as pasteurization effectively inactivates the bird flu virus. Despite dairy cattle herds testing positive for the H5N1 virus in nine states, the FDA’s testing of retail dairy products has shown no active fragments of the virus in the samples.
The agency has continued testing various dairy products to ensure the safety of the milk supply. The FDA strongly advises against the consumption of raw milk and raw milk products, as raw milk from cows infected with bird flu has led to fatalities in animals.
In response to the outbreak, federal authorities have implemented testing requirements for dairy cows being transported between states to prevent the spread of the virus. Lactating dairy cows must test negative for bird flu before being moved across state lines.
Ground beef from grocery stores in states where dairy cows have tested positive for bird flu is also being tested by federal food safety inspectors. The USDA is conducting beef safety studies to ensure the virus is not present in the food supply.
The CDC has reported a single human case of bird flu in a Texas farm worker who suffered conjunctivitis after exposure to infected dairy cattle. The risk to the public remains low, but precautions are being taken to contain the outbreak and protect public health.
