The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department (USDA) says 33 herds have been affected to date.

  • RainfallSonata@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I didn’t get an answer when this was posted this morning: If you drink it, are you vaccinated against it? Serious question.

    • qantravon@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Not likely. Your stomach acid probably destroys what’s left of the virus before it enters the bloodstream, meaning there’s nothing for your immune system to train against. There’s a reason we don’t drink vaccines.

    • girlfreddyOP
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      7 months ago

      And the partial remnants of the virus are inactive, meaning they can’t affect people in any way, shape or form.

      The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

      • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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        7 months ago

        And the partial remnants of the virus are inactive, meaning they can’t affect people in any way, shape or form.

        The warning, unspoken, was to the idiots drinking Raw Milk. I give it less than 90 days before one of them dies from H5N1.