Avian influenza virus was detected in raw milk. What you need to know about risks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's pick for the top job in the U.S. health care industry, has vowed to authorize a broader range of health services. Distribution of raw milk All over America. but, Detection of avian influenza virus Health experts say the ingredients in unpasteurized milk sold in California stores are: Known and potential risks.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota who has investigated food poisoning outbreaks, said, “Raw milk, or unpasteurized milk, has the potential to cause serious illness in people who drink it.'' We need to assume that the virus contains infectious agents.”

Law Farm LLC of Fresno, Calif., voluntarily recalled one lot of its “Cream Top” whole milk after Santa Clara County health officials found the avian influenza virus in a sample last week. State health officials said the county is testing raw milk sold in stores as a “second wave of consumer protection.”

No traces of disease were found in the Law Farm product with lot code 20241109 and expiration date November 27th. But California Department of Health officials warned consumers not to drink the milk and said retailers should remove it from shelves. . On Tuesday, Los Angeles County health officials warned that “a number of retail stores” in the county may have sold recalled raw milk contaminated with the virus.

Here's what else you need to know about raw milk and bird flu.

Osterholm said it was not surprising that the virus was detected in raw milk sold in stores.

Avian influenza, also known as H5N1 influenza A, was first identified in dairy cows in the United States in March and is widespread. California has confirmed cases in more than 435 dairy herds, more than all other U.S. states combined. High concentrations of the virus have also been detected in the milk of infected cows.

About 20% of the sample Tests conducted by government scientists earlier this year found that some pasteurized milk sold in stores contained remnants of the virus. Pasteurization, or heat treatment, not only kills the avian influenza virus, but also kills bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and salmonella, which are known to make people sick.

Officials with the California Department of Food and Agriculture conduct weekly tests of raw milk in bulk tanks from the state's dairy farms. Additional testing at the California raw farm came back negative for the virus, but officials said they would begin testing for bird flu twice a week.

Osterholm said there is little testing of unpasteurized dairy products sold in stores, so other raw dairy products could contain the virus.

“It's still completely unclear how much testing is being done,” Osterholm said. “We're flying blind.”

To date, there is no evidence that people have contracted the avian influenza virus by drinking raw milk. At least 55 people in the United States are known to have contracted the virus this year, nearly all dairy and poultry workers who developed mild symptoms after coming into close contact with infected animals.

As a result of the test, fed raw milk to mice People infected with bird flu become seriously ill, barn cat Nicole Martin, a microbiologist and associate director of the Milk Quality Improvement Program at Cornell University, said farms that drank milk from infected cows suffered brain damage and died.

“I think we still don't know whether people can become infected with H5N1 by consuming raw milk, but there is enough evidence to suggest that people need to be a little more careful now,” Martin said. said.

Almost 4.4% of U.S. adults, or about 11 million people, report drinking raw milk at least once a year. According to one survey, about 1% of adults say they consume raw milk every week. 2022 FDA Investigation.

Proponents of raw milk cite health benefits and improved taste as the main reasons for consumption. Raw Farm promotes its products as “raw and complete,” containing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria.

Kennedy for the fans, who said it He only drinks raw milk. kennedy criticized the Faculty of Agriculture The Food and Drug Administration has promised to crack down on raw milk. active suppression ” unpasteurized milk will be phased out under the Trump administration.

Law Firm owner Mark McAfee has appeared several times on a podcast hosted by Nicole Shanahan, a former vice president to President Kennedy. McAfee told The Associated Press that Kennedy and Shanahan are both customers.

“They want to bring differentiated, great, tested, luxurious, safe and delicious raw milk to everyone,” McAfee said.

Health officials have long warned that raw milk can cause illnesses ranging from mild to life-threatening. From 1998 to 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented: More than 200 disease outbreaks More than 2,600 people have become ill and more than 225 have been hospitalized after raw milk was found to be the culprit.

According to the Dairy Research Center, before the U.S. adopted safety standards based on the so-called Pasteurized Milk Act in 1924, about 25 percent of foodborne illness cases were related to the consumption of dairy products. Currently, dairy products account for about 1% of such illnesses.

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