As of Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) rated the overall public health risk associated with the recent A(H5N1) influenza pandemic as “low.”
However, the risk of infection is “considered low-to-moderate” for people who have been exposed to diseased birds, animals, or contaminated habitats, according to a statement from the organization.
It emphasized that when the UN agency learns more, the risk assessment may alter.
It noted, “The virus has been detected in milk and its potential role in transmission is being investigated,” and advised against drinking raw milk and instead recommended pasteurized.
According to a nationwide investigation conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration, particles of the H5N1 virus were detected in one out of every five commercial milk samples examined.
Following the discovery of the virus in over a dozen more herds spread across eight US states, the avian flu was initially discovered in March in herds in Texas.
The outbreak is more prevalent in the US than previously believed, according to the most recent statistics on milk samples.