US regulator reports traces of bird flu virus found in pasteurised milk

In a recent development, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that samples of pasteurised milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows. Despite this finding, officials have assured the public that the commercial milk supply remains safe for consumption.

The detection of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle came after reports of cows in Texas suffering from a mysterious illness, which led to a reduction in milk production. While the virus is lethal to commercial poultry, experts have noted that most infected cattle tend to recover within two weeks.

The FDA emphasized that the remnants of the virus found in the milk samples are inactivated and do not pose a risk to consumers. The agency is continuing to study the issue and is awaiting results from additional tests in the coming days to weeks.

Although two people in the US have been infected with bird flu, both cases resulted in mild symptoms and recovery. A Texas dairy worker developed a mild eye infection after close contact with an infected cow, while a prison inmate in a work program caught the virus while handling infected birds at a poultry farm in Colorado, experiencing only fatigue as a symptom.

Overall, experts and industry representatives maintain that the time and temperature regulations for pasteurisation ensure the safety of the commercial milk supply, despite the presence of remnants of the bird flu virus in some samples.