H5N1 Influenza May Be Spreading Through Cows via Milking Rather Than Air, Experts Weigh In

The new findings trigger the ongoing debate about raw milk consumption and its potential risks.

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The H5N1 bird flu outbreak in cows is likely being spread via milking rather than through respiration, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

Cows infected through their udders had more severe disease and released more viral particles in their milk than those infected through their nose and mouth.

Viral shedding through milk can reach nearly “1 billion per milliliter,” the study’s senior author, Jurgen A. Richt, distinguished professor at Kansas State University and director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases, told The Epoch Times.

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In contrast, the study found little evidence of viral shedding of H5N1 viruses through the respiratory tract. There was also no clear sign of airborne infections among calves.

The new finding also triggers the ongoing debate about raw milk consumption and potential risks.

The researchers also found that various avian H5N1 viruses may cause bovine influenza.

When the avian H5N1 influenza strain jumped to cows, the virus mutated on one of its proteins, enabling it to infect cows more efficiently. It was assumed that only H5N1 viruses with the mutation could infect cows, but avian viruses not containing the mutations also caused infections of similar severity, the authors found.

A New Bovine Influenza Virus

Since March, researchers have been investigating the H5N1 influenza outbreak that occurred after the avian H5N1 virus—which has been shown to infect mammals like ferrets and minks—seemingly jumped to cows in Texas.

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“H5N1 infections in dairy cattle have actually never been seen before,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told The Epoch Times.

A major concern is whether the avian H5N1 virus has now gained the capability to infect other mammalian species, like humans, he said.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks infections from H5N1 as “low risk” because there is still no evidence of human-to-human transmission, Emily Smith, epidemiologist and associate professor of global health, exercise and nutrition sciences at The George Washington University, told The Epoch Times.

“A main concern with a novel influenza A virus is that the population won’t have any specific experience with it,” Smith said. “Our immune systems don’t have any specific experience with it, so we always have the risk of having a widespread outbreak,” she added.

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So far, only 10  human cases of H5N1 have been confirmed, with four cases being linked to dairy cows. No deaths have been reported.

The Human Risks of H5N1

The risk of people contracting H5N1 bird flu is low. However, those exposed to wild birds and dairy cows are at an elevated risk.

“For the average person, it’s not something you need to worry about on a daily basis,” Smith said. “But at the public health level, I think it is really serious in that it needs to be taken seriously by public health professionals, by governments,” she noted.

Schaffner suggested that people who work with cows may consider getting vaccinated against seasonal influenza. The seasonal influenza vaccines are not made to target bird flu. However, they may give moderate protection, he said.

There is no treatment that specifically targets H5N1. Infected individuals would be treated with antivirals such as Tamiflu.

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Since infected dairy cows shed H5N1 viruses in their milk, Schaffner and Smith both recommend against consumption of raw milk, advocating for pasteurization, which has been shown to effectively eliminate H5N1.

Critical care pulmonologist Dr. Joseph Varon, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Houston, recommends his patients take vitamin D and C to prevent infection and to shorten the sickness should a person get infection.

He routinely tests for vitamin D levels when his patients come for a checkup and said that a vitamin D level of above 30 ng/ml is desirable.

Studies have shown that having low vitamin D levels is linked to worse outcomes with viral infections. However, clinical trials have not shown that supplementing prevents or reduces infection severity.

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Dr. Varon, who sees thousands of patients a month, said that his patients who have adequate vitamin D levels through supplementation tend to not experience as many infections and have a shorter duration of sickness.

Smith said that zinc may reduce the severity of an infection and protect a person from infection.

Additionally, eating healthy and exercising ensure proper health to protect against infections.

Raw Milk vs. Pasteurization

People who consume raw milk “could be at risk of acquiring H5N1 infection,” Schaffner said.

Some people prefer raw milk for its taste and associated health benefits, such as reduced allergies.

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However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has discouraged states from selling raw milk.

Although the agency has stated that there is currently no evidence that people can contract H5N1 through the consumption of raw milk, it noted, “We have long known that raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms (germs) that can pose serious health risks to consumers.”

Mark McAfee is a dairy farmer in California who supplies more than 50 stores and is the chairman of Raw Milk Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes and supports the safe and hygienic production of raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption.

McAfee said he is unfazed by the recent media and public health recommendations against raw milk.

“All the government agencies have been discouraging consumption of raw milk for 30 years. That’s not new to us,” McAfee said. “Our sales are going up.”