The Food and Drug Administration is partnering with the University of Georgia to test dairy supplies for avian influenza.
“This virus and its spread are concerning,” said S. Mark Tompkins, director and principal investigator of the university’s Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research. “I worry about the changing ecology of this virus, the sustained spread of H5N1 across dairy farms, and our ability to take the steps to address it.”
The virus has been found in raw, unpasteurized milk, increasing the dangers of consuming it. Pasteurization has been found to kill the virus. While rare, avian influenza can spread from person to person. There are currently seven such cases in Missouri under investigation.
The UGA Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research will lead the university’s efforts. UGA is one of five institutions nationwide that are currently helping to ensure the safety of dairy products.
“The concern is that there is a substantial population that prefers unpasteurized dairy products,” said Tompkins, who also serves as a professor of virology and immunology in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “The risk of falling ill from salmonella or listeria contamination of raw dairy products has been recognized for many years.
“Now, with the possibility of contamination of the milk supply with H5N1 influenza virus, we have the potential of people becoming infected through consumption of unpasteurized milk, cheese or other raw dairy products. Those infections provide an opportunity for the virus to gain a foothold and spread in humans.”
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