Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Updates on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a disease that is highly contagious and often deadly in poultry, caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) and A (H7) viruses; it is also known as bird or avian flu. HPAI viruses can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Although bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, sporadic human infections have occurred. It is important to note that “highly pathogenic” refers to severe impact in birds, not necessarily in humans.
Ongoing Work to Ensure Continued Effectiveness of the Federal-State Milk Safety System
What's New | Previous Updates
Background | U.S. Agency Response | Testing Results | Additional Resources
What's New
June 25, 2024
Today, the FDA is making available an agenda that outlines various research efforts the agency is undertaking to help ensure the safety of our commercial milk supply during the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (H5N1) virus in dairy cattle.
Our H5N1 research activities continue to follow stepwise, scientific study methods that are designed to help understand the characteristics of inactivation methods for H5N1 in dairy products, ensure the safety of retail dairy products, and mitigate the impact of this virus using a One Health strategy.
While our initial assessment of the milk safety system continues to be affirmed by sampling and testing of retail dairy products, there remain a number of collective activities being undertaken to ensure the continued effectiveness of the federal-state milk safety system. The FDA will continue to follow a sound scientific process to inform the agency’s public health decisions related to food safety.
As outlined in the FDA’s research agenda released today, the FDA is working on multiple efforts to understand the effectiveness of pasteurization and other inactivation methods. We have been actively engaged in conducting studies using continuous flow pasteurization equipment, reflective of those in commercial use, to help confirm pasteurization parameters that are effective at inactivating H5N1 HPAI virus during milk processing. These ongoing studies will provide the information to validate evidence of the effectiveness of pasteurization in ensuring that no viable HPAI H5N1 virus is present in the commercial milk supply. The agency is committing to sharing results from these ongoing studies in the near future.
The FDA’s research agenda also highlights ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of retail dairy products. Earlier this week, the agency launched a second sampling survey of dairy products available at retail locations nationwide to expand our knowledge of HPAI H5N1. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that the FDA conducted between April and May of this year; results were announced in the agency’s May 10 update indicating that no viable virus was detected in 297 retail samples of milk and milk products.
The FDA’s second sampling survey is testing approximately 155 dairy products for H5N1 collected at retail locations, including fluid milk and products such as aged raw milk cheese, pasteurized milk and pasteurized cheeses, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The samples collected include dairy products processed in states that were not included in the agency’s first phase of retail research. Additional samples are being taken from areas included in our previous survey to help provide a more representative picture based on the level of dairy product production that occurs in certain regions.
The FDA, in conjunction with our government partners, is committed to providing further updates around our research efforts and will provide results on the second phase of our ongoing retail sampling survey effort in the near future.
...
https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-adv...pdates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai
- Content current as of:
06/25/2024 - Regulated Product(s)
- Food & Beverages
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a disease that is highly contagious and often deadly in poultry, caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) and A (H7) viruses; it is also known as bird or avian flu. HPAI viruses can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Although bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, sporadic human infections have occurred. It is important to note that “highly pathogenic” refers to severe impact in birds, not necessarily in humans.
Ongoing Work to Ensure Continued Effectiveness of the Federal-State Milk Safety System
What's New | Previous Updates
Background | U.S. Agency Response | Testing Results | Additional Resources
What's New
June 25, 2024
Today, the FDA is making available an agenda that outlines various research efforts the agency is undertaking to help ensure the safety of our commercial milk supply during the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (H5N1) virus in dairy cattle.
Our H5N1 research activities continue to follow stepwise, scientific study methods that are designed to help understand the characteristics of inactivation methods for H5N1 in dairy products, ensure the safety of retail dairy products, and mitigate the impact of this virus using a One Health strategy.
While our initial assessment of the milk safety system continues to be affirmed by sampling and testing of retail dairy products, there remain a number of collective activities being undertaken to ensure the continued effectiveness of the federal-state milk safety system. The FDA will continue to follow a sound scientific process to inform the agency’s public health decisions related to food safety.
As outlined in the FDA’s research agenda released today, the FDA is working on multiple efforts to understand the effectiveness of pasteurization and other inactivation methods. We have been actively engaged in conducting studies using continuous flow pasteurization equipment, reflective of those in commercial use, to help confirm pasteurization parameters that are effective at inactivating H5N1 HPAI virus during milk processing. These ongoing studies will provide the information to validate evidence of the effectiveness of pasteurization in ensuring that no viable HPAI H5N1 virus is present in the commercial milk supply. The agency is committing to sharing results from these ongoing studies in the near future.
The FDA’s research agenda also highlights ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of retail dairy products. Earlier this week, the agency launched a second sampling survey of dairy products available at retail locations nationwide to expand our knowledge of HPAI H5N1. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that the FDA conducted between April and May of this year; results were announced in the agency’s May 10 update indicating that no viable virus was detected in 297 retail samples of milk and milk products.
The FDA’s second sampling survey is testing approximately 155 dairy products for H5N1 collected at retail locations, including fluid milk and products such as aged raw milk cheese, pasteurized milk and pasteurized cheeses, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The samples collected include dairy products processed in states that were not included in the agency’s first phase of retail research. Additional samples are being taken from areas included in our previous survey to help provide a more representative picture based on the level of dairy product production that occurs in certain regions.
The FDA, in conjunction with our government partners, is committed to providing further updates around our research efforts and will provide results on the second phase of our ongoing retail sampling survey effort in the near future.
...
https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-adv...pdates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai