Bird Flu Virus Detected in Commercial Milk: Concerns for Public Health and Safety

In late March, the discovery of the H5N1 bird flu virus in cows raised concerns among farmers and public health officials. To keep the milk supply safe, farmers were instructed to discard milk from sick cows. However, the presence of the virus in commercial milk suggests that these measures were not entirely effective. The virus was detected in cattle herds in eight states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio, and Texas.

While its effects on humans are not yet clear, it is known to be a deadly virus that has caused millions of bird deaths. Public health officials in the US are concerned about the spread of bird flu, as the H5N1 virus can be highly deadly to humans. However, it does not spread easily from person to person, so the US Centers for Disease Control has deemed it not an immediate threat to the public.

Cows that test positive for the virus must undergo a 30-day quarantine period before being tested again. Despite mandatory pasteurization of milk in the US, which is supposed to kill any bacteria or virus, the presence of the bird flu strain in milk products raises questions about how the virus survived the process.

Bird flu is a viral disease that primarily affects birds but can also be transmitted to humans. Symptoms in humans are similar to regular flu and COVID-19, including fever, cough, sore throat