(NEXSTAR) – Inactive fragments of the fowl flu virus that has sickened dairy herds in eight states have been detected in pasteurized milk, the Food and Drug Administration stated Tuesday.
The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) careworn that the remnants “do not represent actual virus” and subsequently don’t pose a well being danger to customers.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA wrote, citing the pasteurization course of and the “diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows.”
Scientists say there’s no proof to counsel that folks can contract the virus by consuming meals that’s been pasteurized, or heat-treated — or correctly cooked.
“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus and the FDA is following up on that,” stated Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus meals microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University.
The FDA has been testing samples nationwide, however officers didn’t say the place the optimistic samples had been from.
As of Tuesday night, the virus, generally known as Type A H5N1, has been present in dairy cows in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and South Dakota.
While the virus has brought on mass deaths in wild fowl and different animal populations – even killing thousands of sea lions in South America – the commonest signs in dairy cows have included decreased lactation and low urge for food, in line with the FDA.
Two folks in U.S. have been contaminated with fowl flu thus far. A Texas dairy worker who was in shut contact with an contaminated cow lately developed a gentle eye an infection and has recovered. In 2022, a jail inmate in a piece program caught it whereas killing contaminated birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His solely symptom was fatigue, and he additionally recovered.
Federal officers say they proceed to verify the effectiveness of pasteurization as they take a look at milk at numerous steps within the manufacturing course of, together with samples from retailer cabinets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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