The news comes just weeks after H5N1 bird flu was identified for the first time among dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas. Certain producers had not fully cooperated in facilitating testing within their herds.
Credit:
Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media
Samples of pasteurized milk from grocery store shelves have tested
positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy
cows, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
The announcement comes after Type A H5N1 bird flu was among dairy
cattle in Texas and Kansas on March 25, and a dairy worker in Texas
contracted the virus.
As of Tuesday, the virus has now been found in dairy herds in ,
Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, New
Mexico and Texas, according to the USDA.
The USDA has also confirmed that eight poultry farms in five states,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Texas, have been
infected with the same virus detected in dairy cattle.
The FDA said that it does not think it is likely that the particles
found in grocery store milk would be able to infect people but, to
be sure, it is conducting additional tests to see if this is a live
infectious virus or the dead virus.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that
the commercial milk supply is safe. Results from multiple studies
will be made available in the next few days to weeks,” the agency
said.
However, the discovery of viral particles in milk found on grocery
store shelves suggests that the outbreak is likely more widespread
than previously understood, Dr. Eric Topol, the founder of the
Scripps Research Translational Institute .
“The dissemination to cows is far greater than we have been led to
believe,” Topol said in an email to NPR Tuesday. “The FDA assurance
that the dairy supply is safe is nice, but it’s not based on
extensive assessment yet, which they acknowledge, and won’t engender
trust and confidence because it comes in the wake of USDA
mishandling.”
To attempt to contain the spread of the virus across US cattle
farms, a federal order issued on Wednesday now requires dairy cows
being moved across states to be tested for the virus.
"The primary focus of the , initially, will be lactating cattle. But
we will certainly have the opportunity to expand beyond that as
necessary," Mike Watson, head of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, told reporters Wednesday.
Until this point, testing had been conducted voluntarily and
restricted to cows displaying symptoms. However, FDA officials
suggested that certain producers had not fully cooperated in
facilitating testing within their herds.
Credit: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media
The Next Global Pandemic?
that bird flu could be the root cause of our next pandemic. Although
cases of the H5N1 strain of avian flu in humans are rare, they are
fatal in more than 50 percent of those infected.
However, at this point, the Monday, saying, “This infection does not
change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S.
general public, which CDC considers to be low.”
Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease
Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, that his primary
concern is this outbreak potentially spreading to pigs.
Pigs possess the same sialic acid receptors found in the respiratory
tracts of both birds and humans, which serve as entry points for the
H5N1 virus. Osterholm warned that if H5N1 were to cause a
significant outbreak in pigs, it would create an ideal scenario for
the virus to adapt and learn to attach to human sialic acids.
“Pigs are a more efficient mixing bowl,” Dr. Peter Hotez, a
professor of pediatrics, molecular virology and microbiology at the
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told CNN. “The one thing about
where we are in Texas is that, in addition to those cattle, Texas is
the epicenter of the feral hog population.”
“In the United States, we have 30% of the nation’s feral hogs, 2 to
3 million feral hogs, and so that to me is a potential risk, as
well,” he said.
Intensive animal agriculture is responsible for more than 50 percent
of zoonotic diseases, according to the . Crowded conditions,
widespread antibiotic use, genetic modification of animals, and
unhygienic conditions increase the risk of viruses that infect
animals, mutate, and gain the ability to infect humans.
Alternatives to Cow’s Milk
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health
nonprofit of more than 17,000 doctors, is offering 5 Nutritious
Alternatives to Cow’s Milk for consumers concerned about bird flu in
cow’s milk.
“To avoid health concerns associated with drinking cow’s milk, there
are many great dairy alternatives to try,” said Nutrition Education
Specialist Dr. Anna Herby of Physicians Committee. “Soy milk is the
highest in protein and has the added benefits of isoflavones, which
can reduce breast cancer risk. Almond milk goes great on cereal, and
oat milk is tasty in a latte.”