For the first time, avian influenza, or bird flu, has spread to cows. Less than two weeks after the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was found in dairy cattle in Texas, North Carolina has become one of nine states to confirm the disease has been found in cows in the state.
In a press release, the Department of Health and Human Services said it has been conferring with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and that, “Both agencies believe the overall risk to the general public remains low.” The press release further states: “There are no concerns with the safety of the commercial milk supply at this time because products are pasteurized before entering the market.”
FOOD FEAR: “Experts” Warn Against Consumption of Beef and Eggs Amid Bird Flu Outbreak
The ruling class’s mainstream media continues to toe the line saying this isn’t a threat to humans or the food supply while simultaneously fear-mongering of the possibility of otherwise.
The state of North Carolina warns that people should not consume or cook with raw or unpasteurized milk.
According to a report by AOL, the USDA has said that it’s not aware of milk from any infected cows reaching the commercial market. The United States Department of Agriculture says it’s confident the meat supply is safe. “As always, we encourage consumers to properly handle raw meats and to cook to a safe internal temperature” to kill bacteria and viruses, the agency says.
One of several highly pathogenic avian flu strains, H5N1 was first identified in 1996 in domestic geese in southern China, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The next year, it began spreading to humans and eventually was known to have infected more than 860 people around the globe, killing more than half of them.
Since then, the virus has undergone genetic changes and has seen periods of faster and slower spread.-AOL
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