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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it has detected H5N1 avian influenza virus particles in milk purchased at grocery stores, the agency said.
as if Update Regarding the outbreak of bird flu in cattle, the FDA indicated that it believed viral particles were detected by highly sensitive laboratory tests and were likely remnants of viruses killed in the pasteurization process. The agency said it doesn't believe the particles could contaminate humans, but is doing more tests to be absolutely sure.
The FDA says these egg-based vaccine tests are the “gold standard” for determining whether the virus is still viable and can infect humans.
“So far, we have seen nothing to change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is secure. Results from several studies will be available in the next few days to weeks,” the agency said.
Dr. Eric Topol, founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the discovery of virus particles in milk on grocery shelves suggests the outbreak may be more widespread than we know.
“The spread of the cows is much bigger than we've been led to believe,” Topol said in an email on Tuesday.
“The FDA's assurance that the milk supply is safe is good, but it's not based on the extensive evaluation that they've done so far, and it doesn't inspire confidence and trust because the USDA is following abuse,” he added.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed in late March that highly pathogenic avian influenza had been detected in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, the first time the virus, which has decimated bird populations around the world, was detected in cattle. Since then, infected cows have been confirmed in more than 30 farms in eight states. Scientists said that the USDA Sharing too little information. About the virus and very slowly.
The infected cows stopped eating normally, and their milk turned thick. Veterinarians examined the animals and confirmed that the milk was contaminated with the virus, although samples taken from their lungs did not show much evidence of the disease, leading the doctors to believe that the animals' mammary glands were directly infected, possibly through shared milking equipment. .
Researchers are still trying to figure out how the cows were infected in the first place and how the virus spreads between animals.
Cats that lived on the same farm as the infected cows died, possibly after their milk was exposed.
The FDA said Tuesday that milk from sick cows is being “altered or destroyed” and that milk sold in interstate commerce is heated for a short period of time to kill germs.
“Even if viruses are found in raw milk, pasteurization is generally expected to remove pathogens to a level that does not pose a risk to the health of consumers,” the FDA said.
According to the agency, 99 percent of the milk in the commercial supply comes from farms that follow the pasteurized milk law, “which includes controls to ensure the safety of dairy products.” However, he observed that pasteurization cannot completely sterilize the milk.
As a result, he has been conducting tests on milk samples collected from grocery stores across the country. It is also collaborating with the Food Safety Group at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The FDA has long advised consumers not to drink unpasteurized or raw milk because it can accumulate. Germs It can cause serious health risks.
Until now, efforts to track the spread of the current epidemic have relied on voluntary reporting.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Contains a list Reportable diseases in animals. Although avian influenza or bird flu is required to be reported in poultry and wild birds, it is not required to be reported in cattle.
“Nobody ever thought it would happen in cattle,” said Dr. Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization's Coordinating Center for Influenza Epidemiology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
“They don't think H5N1 in cows is something you need to worry about, and I think that's where it falls short.”
USDA not only requires reporting of HIV-1 in poultry, but also rewards producers for the first signs of disease in their flocks. He pays them in money For infected birds and eggs to catch the plague. Dr. Michael Osterholm, who directs the Infectious Disease Research Center at the University of Minnesota, said this approach has encouraged farmers to access information.
Such policies are not designed to encourage reporting on other animals.
Osterholm said there is a high risk that the outbreak could spread to pigs because farms that keep cows often keep other types of animals as well.
Influenza viruses enter cells Silicic acids, serve as entry points. Currently, H5N1 virus has not been studied to efficiently access the human sialic acid receptor transcript.
They have pigs The same sialic acid receptor As both birds and humans in the respiratory system. If H5N1 causes a large outbreak in pigs, Osterholm says it presents a perfect opportunity to learn how the virus binds to human silicic acid.
“Pigs are a much more effective mixing bowl,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor of pediatrics, molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “One thing we have in Texas, in addition to those cattle, is that Texas is a hub for pork.”
“In the United States, we have 30% of the country's wild hogs, 2 to 3 million wild hogs, and it could be a disaster for me,” he said.
USDA encourages farmers and ranchers to report sick cattle to state animal health officials.
But neither the cows nor the people who work or live around them are being widely screened for the infection, which requires informed consent. Testing of waste water in areas affected by the outbreak is also being discussed.
Instead, the CDC uses emergency department data and influenza testing data to determine the prevalence of HIV in dairy cattle. “So far, these data remain within expected ranges, and to date, surveillance systems have not shown any unusual trends or activity,” according to a statement compiled by CDC officials.
CDC spokesman Jason McDonald said 23 people exposed to H5N1 have been tested, including one person who previously tested positive in Texas. No other people have tested positive in the current outbreak, he said.