Kristel is a science writer based in the U.S. with a doctorate in chemistry from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She holds a master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in Drug Discovery News, Science, Eos and Mongabay, among other outlets.
Bird flu is infecting cows across the U.S. Now, scientists have discovered that the virus from infected dairy cows can remain infectious in unpasteurized milk and on the surface of milking equipment for at least an hour.
Since then, three people in the U.S. have contracted the H5N1 virus following exposure to infected dairy cows. Two developed eye infections and one had some mild respiratory symptoms. However, scientists are still unsure exactly how the disease is being transmitted from cow to cow and from cow to human.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Little was known about whether the virus could remain infectious in unpasteurized milk, however. Just in case, the FDA has warned consumers against drinking raw milk and urged state regulators to stop any sales of raw milk produced by infected cows.
"Because the virus remains stable on these surfaces, if they're not cleaned up pretty soon after , the milk is just there with the virus in it," Le Sage said."It does pose a threat to the dairy workers that are in the milking parlors," she said.—21-year-old student dies of H5N1 bird flu in VietnamFor a comparison to the milk, the scientists put H5N1 viruses in a saline solution, but surprisingly the pathogens did not survive for an hour in this liquid.
"Masks and face shields do their job. If workers were provided these and wore them, they should be protected," she said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued similar recommendations for dairy workers, but the use of such safety equipment has been limited.
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