Bottles of raw milk are displayed for sale at a store in Temecula, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite an outbreak of bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. Federal officials warn about the health risks of drinking raw milk at any time, but especially during this novel outbreak.
JoNel Aleccia/ AP Photo
JoNel Aleccia/ AP Photo
Bottles of raw milk are displayed for sale at a store in Temecula, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite an outbreak of bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. Federal officials warn about the health risks of drinking raw milk at any time, but especially during this novel outbreak.
Aired; July 31st, 2024.
Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, has been affecting wild, commercial, and backyard birds in Pennsylvania since 2022. Highly Pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been affecting wild birds as well as domestic poultry species. HPAI in birds can have high death rates for domestic poultry such as chickens, quail, and turkeys.
Avian flu has shown up in dairy farms in other states and one dairy worker has been infected in Texas.
However, Dr. Alex Hamberg, State Veterinarian of Pennsylvania said there have been no cases of avian flu in cattle in Pennsylvania.
“Thankfully we have not had in here in Pennsylvania yet, and we’re taking precautions to prevent it from coming into Pennsylvania and set up the infrastructure to detect it, “said Dr. Hamberg.
According to Dr. Hamberg, pasteurized milk products and pasteurized milk is safe and there is no consumer threat.
“We know pasteurization is very effective at destroying the virus. So yes, the virus has been found in milk, but we know that pasteurized pasteurization is extremely effective at destroying it, “said Dr. Hamberg.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued a quarantine to protect the poultry from spread of the virus.
