The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun testing aged raw cow’s milk cheese for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1), also known as bird flu, in response to a recent outbreak in several US states. The outbreak has impacted poultry, dairy cows, and people across the country. The FDA will collect hundreds of samples from warehouses and distribution hubs, but not from retail locations. Raw milk cheese must be aged for at least 60 days to mitigate the risk of pathogens.
A severe human case of bird flu was reported in Louisiana, with an elderly patient hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that the virus mutated in the victim, making it easier to infect the upper airways of humans. This is the first serious human case in the US, with a total of 61 reported infections during the current 2024 outbreak, with most cases being mild and treated at home.
The severity of the Louisiana case has heightened alarm, similar to cases reported worldwide. In Canada, a teenager was hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu, and in the US, a domestic cat recently died from bird flu after eating frozen raw pet food.
