The US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has confirmed that some pasteurised milk samples have “indicated the presence” of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), generally referred to as chook flu.
According to the FDA, pasteurisation is more likely to inactivate the chook flu virus however the course of is “not expected to remove the presence of viral particles”.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), together with state companions are presently investigating an outbreak of the chook flu virus detected in dairy cows in quite a few states.
Earlier this month, the CDC confirmed {that a} person within the US who had contact with dairy cattle in Texas contaminated with chook flu had has additionally examined optimistic for the virus.
The individual reported eye redness as their solely symptom and the CDC has stated the chance to most of the people stays low.
The FDA and USDA have each harassed that primarily based on the knowledge presently available, industrial milk provide within the US is secure due to “the pasteurization process and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows”.
The FDA highlighted this week that it has been “evaluating milk from affected animals”, within the processing system, and on the cabinets.
“We are finishing a big consultant nationwide pattern, to raised perceive the extent of those findings.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the organisation acknowledged.
It added that as a result of the detection of the virus in dairy cows is a “novel and evolving situation” no research on the consequences of pasteurisation on HPAI viruses (corresponding to H5N1) in “bovine milk have previously been completed although considerable scientific literature is available that has informed our current understanding”.
Bird flu
Meanwhile the CDC has indicated that its latest analysis means that the chook flu virus is “susceptible” to antiviral drugs used for seasonal flu corresponding to oseltamivir, zanamivir and peramivir.
It stated laboratory investigations are persevering with “to better characterise the virus from the human case in Texas”.
The CDC has warned that the huge geographic unfold of chook flu viruses in wild birds, poultry, and another mammals, together with in cows, is “creating additional opportunities for people to be exposed to these viruses”.
It added: “Therefore, there could be an increase in sporadic human infections resulting from bird, cattle, and other animal exposures, even if the risk of these viruses spreading to people has not increased”.
