Bird Flu Virus Lurks in Raw Milk Cheese for Months

The H5N1 bird flu virus can survive in raw milk cheese for a long time. This is a problem for public health. The virus can stay infectious for months, even after the cheese has been aged for 60 days. This aging process is supposed to kill off harmful germs. But it seems it might not be enough to stop the bird flu virus. The virus can survive because of the proteins and fats in the cheese. These provide a cozy home for the virus to live in. The virus can stay stable in the cheese, even when it's refrigerated. This is a big concern, especially during a bird flu outbreak. The virus can infect dairy cows, poultry, and other animals. It can also infect humans. There have been cases where people got sick from raw milk. But it's not clear if eating contaminated food can make people sick. Some experts think it's possible, but more research is needed. The virus was tested in mini cheeses made with milk spiked with H5N1. The cheeses were tested over time to see if the virus was still infectious. The virus stayed infectious for the full two-month aging period. This shows that the virus can survive in cheese for a long time. The study also found that making the cheese more acidic might kill the virus. No live virus was detected in the cheese made at the lowest pH. This suggests that making raw milk cheese more acidic could make it safer to eat. The FDA has been testing cheese samples from store shelves. So far, most of the samples were negative for the virus. This means that the cheeses probably weren't made with contaminated milk. The FDA is continuing to work with partners to address the bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle. Experts say the study is a reminder of the importance of surveillance. They also say that people should avoid consuming raw milk products. Pasteurized dairy products are safer because the pasteurization process inactivates the virus.