ATHENS, Ga. (WSAV) – The University of Georgia (UGA) has announced that it will be partnering with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test U.S. dairy supplies for avian influenza.
Testing is being done to help reduce the threat of avian influenza due to the recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) outbreak.
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.
“This virus and its spread are concerning,” said S. Mark Tompkins, director and principal investigator of the UGA center. “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.”
H5N1, more commonly known as “Bird Flu”, is found in wild aquatic birds across the globe and can cause outbreaks and disease in poultry. In recent years, the virus has evolved to infect more than 100 species.
While extremely rare, avian influenza can spread from person to person.
H5N1 was detected in U.S. dairy cattle for the first time this year, prompting concerns about the safety of the country’s dairy supply.
The virus has been detected in raw milk from infected cows but at this time pasteurization appears to kill H5N1. So it is unlikely to infect people through consumption though raw dairy products are another story.
“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 dairy products. Those infections provide an opportunity for the virus to gain a foothold and spread in humans.”
