OHA advisory: Consumption of raw milk may carry H5N1 risk

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is reminding people of the risks associated with raw (unpasteurized) milk consumption amid the current H5N1 “bird flu” outbreak in dairy cattle.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently tested 297 retail milk samples from 38 states for H5N1 virus. About 20% of these samples tested positive for H5N1 viral fragments, but none contained live infectious virus because the H5N1 virus had been killed through pasteurization.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are 49 dairy cattle H5N1 outbreaks across nine states. No outbreaks have occurred in Oregon, but H5N1 is believed to be more widespread than current testing suggests.

“We know that if H5N1 is present in the milk of infected dairy cattle, it will be killed by pasteurization,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer and state epidemiologist at OHA. “Drinking raw milk carries many health risks, and those risks may now include H5N1 infection.”

Pasteurized milk is extremely safe and has undergone a heating process that kills disease-causing bacteria and viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who consume unpasteurized milk are at risk for a variety of illnesses such as E. coli and Salmonella. Only pasteurized milk is sold in stores and provided to children in school lunches.

Raw milk that someone consumes from the same farm over a duration of time may not always be safe. Raw milk can get contaminated in many ways. While good safety practices can reduce the chance of germs getting in raw milk, they cannot eliminate all risk.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is offering free testing for H5N1 to dairy farms of any size in Oregon. For additional information regarding this new no-cost testing program, please visit: https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/AnimalHealthFeedsLivestockID/AHLicensing/Pages/Approved-Bovine-HPAI-Sampler.aspx.

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