The Food and Drug Administration is working with the University of Georgia to test dairy supplies for bird flu.
“This virus and its spread are concerning,” said S. Mark Tompkins, director and principal investigator of the university’s Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research. “I am concerned about the changing ecology of this virus, the continued spread of H5N1 across dairy farms and our ability to take steps to address this problem.”
The virus has been found in raw, unpasteurized milk, increasing the dangers of consuming it. Pasteurization has been shown to kill the virus. Although rare, bird flu can spread from person to person. There are currently seven such cases under investigation in Missouri.
The UGA Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research will lead the university’s efforts. UGA is one of five agencies nationwide currently helping to ensure the safety of dairy products.
“The concern is that there is a substantial population that prefers unpasteurized dairy products,” said Tompkins, who is also a professor of virology and immunology at UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The risk of becoming ill due to salmonella or listeria contamination of raw dairy products has been recognized for years.
“With milk production possibly contaminated with the H5N1 flu virus, there is the potential for people to become infected through the consumption of unpasteurized milk, cheese or other raw dairy products. These infections provide the virus with an opportunity to gain a foothold and spread among people.”
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