Can humans get H5N1 by consuming raw milk?

Can humans get H5N1 by consuming raw milk? 

virus can be transmitted via an infected cow’s milk 

while no case of H5N1 infection in humans has been reported after consuming raw milk, scientists believe that the virus can be transmitted via an infected cow’s milk that has not been pasteurised. 

Cow to human spread

The lone reported human case in the current outbreak of cattle spread across 49 herds in nine States in the U.S. has been a dairy farm worker who had direct exposure to cows and developed conjunctivitis. 

The Atlanta-based CDC has advised people 

to desist from consuming uncooked dairy food products such as raw, unpasteurised milk, or raw cheeses from animals with suspected or confirmed H5N1 bird flu virus infection.

While FAO noted thatH5N1virus was detected

in “high concentrations in milk from infected dairy cattle and at levels greater than that seen in respiratory samples”, there are no reports of viable H5N1 virus being found in raw milk samples. 

sales of raw milk in the U.S. has increased 

Despite CDC warning people to avoid consuming raw milk, sales of raw milk in the U.S. has increased sharply since the H5N1 outbreak in cattle was first reported there on March 25 this year.

 Yet, there has not been any reported case of human infection after raw milk intake. 

 people to be infected with H5N1 via raw milk? 

“We need to remember that viruses outside a cell do not have life of theirown.The biological plausibility of transmission through milk is very limited,” 

“There are very few human cases reported so far and almost all of those were in farm workers who had come in close contact with infected animals.

 In these cases, the likely route of transmission was airborne. Raw milk from H5N1 infected cows may not cause illness in humans as the route of introduction of the virus is oral rather than nasopharyngeal,”

Theoretical possibility of a human being catching H5N1 infection from infected raw milk is very low. Till date, there has been no documented evidence of H5N1 transmission from animals to humans via the oral route.”

 

There are many reports of cats being infected with H5N1

in the current outbreak in the U.S. In a recent study, domestic cats fed with raw, unpasteurised colostrum and milk from affected cows developed fatal systemic influenza infection, thus demonstrating the oral route of transmission in cats.

 “Some birds (poultry) as well as cats 

do show susceptibility to influenza virus infections via oral route. So far humans have not been infected by faeco-oral route even if the virus is shed by humans in the excreta. We know this from the SARS-CoV-2 example too,” says Dr. Bal.

source the hindu