Bird flu virus was found in raw milk. What to know about risks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the nation’s top health care job, has promised expanded leave raw milk distribution Across America. But detection of bird flu virus Unpasteurized milk sold in stores in California underscores what health experts say known and potential risks.

“You have to assume that unpasteurized raw milk has potential infectious agents that can cause serious illness in people who drink it,” said Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota who studies foodborne disease outbreaks.

Raw Farm LLC, based in Fresno, California, voluntarily recalled a batch of “creamy” whole milk after Santa Clara County health officials found bird flu virus in a sample last week. State health officials said the county is testing raw milk sold in stores as a “second line of consumer protection.”

No disease was found in Raw Farm products with lot code 20241109 and expiration date of November 27. But California health department officials warned consumers not to drink the milk and said retailers should remove it from their shelves. . On Tuesday, Los Angeles County health officials warned that “many retailers” there may have sold raw milk contaminated with the virus.

What you need to know about raw milk and bird flu:

What do we know about bird flu virus and milk?

Osterholm said it was no surprise that the virus was found in raw milk sold in stores.

Avian flu, also known as Type A H5N1 flu, was first confirmed in dairy cattle in the United States in March and has spread widely. More than 435 dairy herds were infected in California; that number is more than all other U.S. states combined. High levels of the virus were also found in the milk of infected cows.

About 20% of samples A large portion of pasteurized milk sold in stores was found to contain viral traces of the virus, according to tests by government scientists earlier this year. Pasteurization, or heat treatment, kills the bird flu virus as well as bacteria known to make people sick, such as E. coli, Listeria, and salmonella.

California Department of Food and Agriculture officials conduct weekly tests on bulk tanks of raw milk from dairies in the state. Additional tests at Raw Farm facilities in California came back negative for the virus, but officials said they would begin testing for bird flu twice a week.

Very few tests have been done on unpasteurized dairy products in stores, Osterholm said, so it’s possible that other raw dairy products may also contain the virus.

“It’s still unclear how much testing is going on,” Osterholm said. “We are flying blind.”

Can bird flu in raw milk make people sick?

To date, there is no evidence that people have contracted the bird flu virus by drinking raw milk. At least 55 people in the United States are known to have contracted the virus this year, but almost all of them were dairy or poultry workers who suffered mild illness after close contact with infected animals.

Tests showed that mice fed raw milk He became very ill because he was infected with bird flu and barn cats Nicole Martin, a microbiologist and deputy director of the Milk Quality Improvement Program at Cornell University, noted that brain damage and death occurred on farms that drank milk from infected cows:

“I don’t think we know yet whether people can get H5N1 from consuming raw milk, but we do have enough evidence to suggest that people need to be a little more careful right now,” Martin said.

Who drinks raw milk and why?

About 4.4% of U.S. adults, or about 11 million people, report drinking raw milk at least once a year. About 1% of adults say they consume raw milk every week 2022 FDA study.

Proponents of raw milk cite perceived health benefits and better taste as the main reasons for consumption. Raw Farm advertises its products as “unprocessed and complete” with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and beneficial bacteria.

Kennedy is among the fans who said He only drinks raw milk. Kennedy He criticized the ministry of agriculture He called for action against raw milk and called for the Food and Drug Administration to “ aggressive suppression He said unpasteurized milk “will end under the Trump administration.”

Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee has appeared several times on podcasts hosted by Kennedy’s former running mate, Nicole Shanahan. Speaking to the Associated Press, McAfee said both Kennedy and Shanahan were clients.

“They want different, great, tested, amazing, safe, delicious raw milk for everyone on the same level,” McAfee said.

What do health experts say about raw milk?

Health officials have been warning for years that raw milk could cause mild to life-threatening illnesses. Between 1998 and 2018, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented More than 200 disease outbreaks It turned out to be caused by raw milk, which caused more than 2,600 people to become ill and more than 225 to be hospitalized.

Before the U.S. adopted safety standards called the Pasteurized Milk Regulations in 1924, approximately 25% of foodborne illnesses were related to milk consumption, according to the Center for Dairy Research. Dairy products now account for about 1% of such diseases.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.