Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIAID) have found that heat treatment can significantly reduce the amount of infectious H5N1 virus in raw milk, but small amounts of the virus may remain under certain conditions. This finding is important in light of reported outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in dairy cows in the United States.
Studies have shown that heating raw milk can significantly reduce the amount of H5N1 virus, but it may still remain. Despite the outbreak of cattle flu in the United States, the FDA's ongoing assessment has concluded that commercial milk is safe.
Laboratory experiments show that the amount of infectious H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk drops rapidly after being heated. The research was conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
However, low levels of infectious virus were still detectable in raw milk samples with elevated viral loads after treatment at 72 degrees Celsius (161.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 seconds, one of the standard pasteurization methods used by the dairy industry. However, the study authors stressed that their findings reflect experimental conditions in a laboratory setting and are not identical to the large-scale industrial raw milk pasteurization process. The results were published June 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In late March 2024, U.S. officials reported an outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, called HPAI H5N1, in dairy cows in Texas. To date, 95 herds in 12 states have been affected, and three human cases have been found in farm workers with conjunctivitis. While the virus has not so far genetically demonstrated the ability to spread between people, public health officials are closely monitoring dairy cows as part of pandemic preparedness efforts.
Given limited data on the susceptibility of avian influenza viruses to pasteurization methods used by the dairy industry, scientists at NIAID's Rocky Mountain Laboratories sought to quantify the stability of H5N1 viruses in raw milk when tested at different intervals at 63°C (145.4°F) and 72°C, the temperatures most commonly used in commercial dairy pasteurization processes. The scientists isolated highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses from the lungs of a mountain lion that died in Montana. They then mixed these viral isolates with samples of raw, unpasteurized milk and heat-treated the milk at 63°C and 72°C for different periods of time. The samples were then cultured and tested to determine whether, and if so, how much live virus remained.
They found that a temperature of 63°C produced a significant reduction in infectivity levels of H5N1 virus (1010-fold) within 2.5 minutes, and noted that 30 minutes of standard bulk pasteurization eliminated infectious virus. At 72°C, they observed a 104-fold reduction in infectious virus within 5 seconds, however, in one of three samples, very low levels of infectious virus were still detected after heat treatment for up to 20 seconds. The authors noted: "This finding suggests that relatively low but detectable amounts of H5N1 virus may still be present in milk after heating at 72°C for 15 seconds if initial viral levels are sufficiently high."
The scientists emphasize that their measurements reflect experimental conditions and should be replicated by direct measurements of infected milk in commercial pasteurization facilities, and that no conclusions should be drawn about the safety of the U.S. milk supply. In addition, a limitation of their study was the use of raw milk samples spiked with H5N1 virus, and raw milk from cows infected with H5N1 influenza may have a different composition or contain cell-associated virus, which could affect the thermal effect. The authors conclude that while highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses have caused enteric infections in several mammals, it remains unknown whether ingestion of live H5N1 virus in raw milk can cause illness in humans.
To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that all evidence continues to indicate that the commercial milk supply is safe. While laboratory benchtop studies provide important, useful information, their limitations pose challenges for extrapolating to real-world commercial processing and pasteurization. The FDA conducted an initial survey of 297 retail dairy products collected at retail locations in 17 states and representing products produced at 132 processing sites in 38 states. All samples were negative for the virus. These results highlight the opportunity for additional studies to closely replicate real-world conditions. The FDA is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on pasteurization validation studies, including the use of homogenizers and continuous-flow pasteurizers. We will share additional results as they become available.