virus in milk. “High pathogenicity” –

Fragments of avian influenza virus have been detected in samples of pasteurized milk in the USA, where a highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 has been infecting dairy cows in several states for several weeks. This was made known by the Food and Drug Administration (Fda), which together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Agriculture is investigating the avian flu epidemic on farms. The news bounces around the American media, along with a clarification. “There are no risks for consumers,” the health authorities reassure. The PCR test, the analysis that made it possible to identify the presence of the virus, looks for traces of genetic material, so a positive result does not mean that the virus found is alive and infectious. “Based on available information, pasteurization is likely to inactivate the pathogen, but is not expected to eliminate the presence of viral particles,” explains the FDA. “To date – the agency points out – we have not observed anything that would change our assessment that the commercial supply of milk is safe”.

Roberto Burioni, professor of microbiology and virology at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University of Milan, commented on the discovery on social media: “Avian influenza virus in milk. No alarms, but a sign that the avian virus is moving between species, moreover it is its job and it does not surprise us. But be careful. This is not good news. We’ll talk about it”. The alert immediately went up.