Bird flu is spreading to more livestock. Are milk and eggs safe?

Just weeks after the nation's largest egg producer discovered the virus in chickens, an outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. dairy cows has spread to affect more than 20 herds in eight states.

Health officials have stressed that the risk to the public is low and that the U.S. food Supply is safe and stable.

“At this time, there remains no concern that this situation poses a risk to consumer health or impacts the safety of interstate commercial milk supplies,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

Here's what you need to know about bird flu and food.

As of Friday, the strain of bird flu that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years had been found on at least 26 dairy farms in eight southern U.S. states, including Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Ta. Dakota.

The virus, known as H5N1 type A, has been detected in a variety of mammals over the years, but this is the first time it has been found in cattle, federal health and animal officials said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said genetic analysis of the virus does not show it has changed to make it more transmissible to humans.

Agriculture officials in at least 17 states have restricted imports of dairy cows from states where the virus has been detected, but the agency says so far there has been little impact on commercial milk production. Officials believe the cow likely became infected through contact with wild birds, but said cow-to-cow transmission “cannot be ruled out.”

Farmers are testing cows that show signs of infection, such as a sudden drop in milk production or lack of energy. Animals that show signs of illness or test positive are isolated from other animals on the farm. The animal appears to recover within two weeks.

U.S. egg producers are closely monitoring the situation after avian influenza was detected in chickens in Texas and Michigan. Millions of birds have been killed, but the FDA said federal inspections and other safety measures mean there is a low risk that affected eggs will enter the retail market or cause infection in humans. .

Scientists say there is no evidence to suggest that people can contract the virus by consuming pasteurized, heat-treated or properly prepared food.

“This is not a food safety concern,” said Lee Ann Jacas, a virologist and food microbiologist emeritus at North Carolina State University.

Two people have been infected with bird flu in the United States so far. A dairy worker in Texas who had close contact with infected cows recently developed a mild eye infection but has since recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate on a work program was infected while slaughtering infected birds at a poultry farm in Colorado. His only symptom was fatigue and he recovered.

According to food safety experts and government officials, yes.

Producers in the United States are prohibited from selling milk from sick cows and must divert and dispose of the milk. In addition, milk sold across state lines must be pasteurized or heat treated using a process that kills bacteria and viruses, including influenza.

“We strongly believe that pasteurization provides safe milk,” Tracy Forfa, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, told a webinar audience this week.

The FDA and CDC say they are less certain about unpasteurized and raw milk sold in many states and have limited information about the potential for transmitting the H5N1 virus from such products. ing.

So far, no cows infected with avian influenza have been reported from herds associated with raw milk suppliers, but government officials have urged the industry to It is recommended not to manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk cheese products that have been contaminated. Cow.

U.S. health officials have been warning for years about the risk of foodborne illness associated with raw milk, and the CDC says foodborne illness caused more than 200 outbreaks between 1998 and 2018, sickening more than 2,600 people.

Still, raw milk advocates like Mark McAfee, owner of Raw Farm USA in Fresno, Calif., say that despite federal warnings, outbreaks of H5N1 infections in commercial cows have led to increased sales of the product. He said that it seems to be accelerating.

Agriculture officials say only dairy cows, not beef cattle, have been infected or showing signs of disease so far.

The largest egg producer in the United States temporarily suspended operations on April 2nd after avian influenza was detected in its chickens. Calmaine Foods culled approximately 1.6 million egg-laying hens and an additional 337,000 hens after the discovery.

The company said there is no risk to eggs on the market and there are no egg recalls.

Barbara Kowalczyk, director of the Center for Food Safety and Nutritional Security at George Washington University, said eggs that are properly handled and thoroughly cooked are safe to eat.

“A lot of people like runny eggs. Personally, when I eat eggs, they're very well-cooked,” she said.

Still, Kowalczyk and others warned that the situation could change.

“This is a new problem and obviously this pathogen is evolving and there's a lot we don't know,” she said. “I think everyone is trying to figure it out as quickly as possible.”

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