H5N1 Bird Flu: Raw Milk Contamination Raises Pandemic Fears

Dec 12, 2024, 11:43 PM

The H5N1 avian influenza virus, which has been circulating among dairy cows in the United States, has raised concerns about its potential to mutate into a form that could transmit between humans. Recent developments include the San Francisco Zoo temporarily closing its aviaries after a wild red-shouldered hawk tested positive for the virus. The virus has also been detected in raw milk, leading to the deaths of two cats in Los Angeles County after they consumed contaminated milk from Raw Farm LLC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a California toddler who became ill after drinking raw milk and found no evidence of the H5N1 virus or any other influenza virus. Despite these cases, the risk to the general public remains low, but experts warn that the virus is just one mutation away from potentially causing a human-to-human transmissible outbreak. The USDA has announced plans to test the nation's milk supply for bird flu, focusing on raw, unpasteurized milk, which has been repeatedly found contaminated with the virus. Fifty-eight people have tested positive for bird flu in the US this year, including two with no known exposure to infected animals.