FDA reports 20% of commercial milk samples in US contain traces of Bird Flu


Various types of milk are seen at the Safeway store in Wheaton, Maryland February 13, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo

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	FDA reports 20% of commercial milk samples in US contain traces of Bird Flu By Li Huang tellususa.com WASHINGTON - According to a nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, one in five commercial milk samples contained particles of the H5N1 virus. This suggests that the bird flu outbreak is more widespread than previously thought. However, the agency clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that the virus found in milk poses a risk to human health. Many experts believe that the pasteurization process will inactivate the virus also known as avian influenza. However, additional testing is required to confirm that the milk is free from any infectious virus. The FDA is currently assessing any positive findings through egg inoculation tests, which are considered the gold standard for determining viable virus. The virus has been found in 33 dairy herds across eight U.S. states. Although this indicates that the virus is more widespread than previously thought, only one person (a Texas farm worker) has been confirmed to have bird flu in the current outbreak. Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said that the virus has largely saturated dairy cattle throughout the country, but it is mainly concentrated in a small number of farms. Despite the findings, the FDA has stated that the commercial milk supply is still safe for consumption.