Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Inactive Bird Flu Virus Pieces Detected In 1 in 5 Pasteurized Milk Samples
NBC News: Bird Flu: 1 In 5 Samples Of Pasteurized Milk Contained Virus Fragments, FDA Finds
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that traces of the bird flu virus have been found in 1 in 5 samples of pasteurized milk, providing a more detailed picture of how much of the milk supply has been affected. ... As of Thursday, bird flu had been detected in 33 herds in eight states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio and Texas. (Lovelace Jr., 4/25)
Politico: The ‘Milk Supply Is Safe’: Biden Administration Scrambles To Reassure Americans As Bird Flu Spreads
The Biden administration and dairy industry are racing to convince the public not to worry about the spread of the disease among the nation’s cattle. (Cadei, Brown and Lim, 4/25)
More on pasteurization —
CNET: Evidence Of Bird Flu Found In Pasteurized Milk. Here's What That Means
Jenna Guthmiller, an immunologist, influenza researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado, told CNET that if someone were to drink milk contaminated with H5N1, it doesn't necessarily mean they would be infected. Influenza viruses are unstable outside the body, she explained, and milk "bypasses the normal process by which we get infected" with flu. (Rendall, 4/24)
Nature: Bird Flu In US Cows: Is The Milk Supply Safe?
There is no definitive evidence that pasteurization kills H5N1, but the method kills viruses that multiply in the gut, which are hardier than flu viruses, says Cornell University virologist Brian Wasik. “Influenza virus is relatively unstable,” he says, “and is very susceptible to heat.” Pasteurization of eggs, which is done at a lower temperature than pasteurization of milk, does kill H5N1. It’s possible that pasteurization would be less effective at killing relatively high viral concentrations in milk, says Wasik. Finding out whether this is the case requires experimental data. In the absence of a definitive answer, keeping milk from infected cows out of the commercial supply is extremely important. When Nature asked when to expect more evidence on whether pasteurization kills H5N1, Janell Goodwin, public-affairs specialist at the FDA in Silver Spring, Maryland, said that the agency and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) “are working closely to collect and evaluate additional data and information specific to” H5N1. (Nowogrodzki, 4/25)
Also —
Reuters: Colombia Becomes First Country To Restrict US Beef Due To Bird Flu In Dairy Cows
Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. (Huffstutter and Polansek, 4/25)
BBC: 'Unprecedented': How Bird Flu Became An Animal Pandemic
Bird flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading in cows. In the handful of human cases seen so far it has been extremely deadly. (Bourke, 4/26)
