Written by Elizabeth Johnson.
A recent WHO announcement has stirred significant concern over dairy products. The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to ban the sale and consumption of dairy milk after detecting the H5N1 bird flu virus in raw milk samples. This startling discovery was disclosed in a WHO press release last Friday, noting particularly high virus concentrations in milk from infected mammals.
First Human Case Sparks Wider Concerns
The alarming find comes shortly after the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the first human case of H5N1, escalating fears about the virus’s potential spread from birds to mammals and now to humans through non-traditional transmission routes.
Unprecedented Transmission Patterns
During a press briefing in Geneva, Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO’s global influenza program, explained the unusual transmission patterns observed. “Bird-to-cow and cow-to-cow transmissions have been registered, suggesting that the virus may have found other routes of transmission beyond our previous understanding,” Zhang stated. This revelation indicates a significant evolution in the behavior of the virus, complicating efforts to control its spread.
Implications for Dairy Production and Consumption
In response to these findings, WHO is advocating for stringent controls on dairy farms and the immediate removal of dairy products from grocery shelves. The detected high concentration of the virus in unpasteurized milk underscores the potential risk to public health, necessitating urgent and preventive actions to mitigate further spread.
Broader Meat Bans Considered
The situation’s gravity has led WHO to consider recommending bans on other animal products, including beef and pork, as preemptive measures to curb the spread of the bird flu virus. The potential for widespread bans on multiple types of meat products could have far-reaching effects on food supply and security globally.
Historical Context and Growing Threat
