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Sci Adv . Repeated oral exposure to H5N1 influenza virus in pasteurized milk does not cause adverse responses to subsequent influenza infection

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Sci Adv


. 2025 Sep 26;11(39):eaeb3906.
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aeb3906. Epub 2025 Sep 26. Repeated oral exposure to H5N1 influenza virus in pasteurized milk does not cause adverse responses to subsequent influenza infection

Pamela H Brigleb[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ericka Kirkpatrick Roubidoux[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lauren Lazure[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Brandi Livingston[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Victoria A Meliopoulos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bridgett Sharp[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tyler Ripperger[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shelby Patrick[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dorothea R Morris[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shaoyuan Tan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stacey Schultz-Cherry[SUP] 1 [/SUP]



Affiliations
Abstract

In March 2024, a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b virus was identified in US dairy cows, with spillover to cats, poultry, and humans. Up to 30% of commercial pasteurized milk tested contained viral genome copies. The impact of residual viral remnants on host immunity is unknown. Orally ingested proteins can stimulate gut-associated lymphoid tissues, potentially inducing tolerance and altering responses to later infection. We found that milk pasteurization fully inactivated pandemic H1N1 and bovine H5N1 influenza viruses yet preserved hemagglutinin (HA) protein integrity. In mice, repeated oral exposure to inactivated virus did not alter mortality after H5N1 virus challenge. Preliminary data showed that naïve mice exposed to improperly pasteurized milk containing live H5N1 virus developed lethal infection, whereas prior H1N1 infection conferred protection. Mice with preexisting H1N1 immunity remained protected when challenged with bovine H5N1 virus after exposure to H5N1 pasteurized in milk. These findings suggest that pasteurized milk containing inactivated H5N1 virus poses minimal health risks.


 
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