Can you get bird flu from milk and eggs?

A strain of bird flu that has killed millions of birds in recent years has been detected in dairy cows in several states, prompting concerns about the safety of the U.S. dairy supply.

Federal health and agriculture officials released a statement last month stressing that there “continues to be no concern” about the safety of the commercial milk supply, while underscoring t hat the agencies a re monitoring the situation as it evolves.

Scientists k now that bird flu can spread to humans when they come into contact with infected animals, including dead ones, without wearing protective gear, which seems to have been the case with a person recently infected in Texas. So far, there isn’t any evidence to suggest that humans can contract bird flu by consuming food that has been pasteurized or cooked, said Benjamin Chapman, a professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University.

“That’s not to say it couldn’t happen,” he said. “It’s just that we have a pretty robust history of it not happening.”

However, there are a few key points that researchers are still working to understand, Chapman and other experts said, like just how widespread the current outbreak is in cows or exactly how the virus spread to them. Public safety agencies have said that it’s not clear what risks surround unpasteurized products.

“In the column of known versus unknown, there’s a lot more in the unknown part,” said Dr. Gail Hansen, a veterinary public health expert and independent public health consultant.

What do we know about bird flu and dairy products?

Bird flu was detected in unpasteurized milk samples from sick cows, but the Food a nd D rug Administration has said that the supply of pasteurized milk remains safe and that it “does not currently have concerns” about pasteurized cheese. Milk from sick cows is being diverted or destroyed so it does not end up on store shelves.

Pasteurization, which heats milk to destroy pathogens, will kill influenza, said Matthew Moore, an assistant professor in the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Raw or unpasteurized milk already puts people at a higher risk from harmful germs. “Now there’s a whole new level of concern,” said Darin Detwiler, a food safety expert and professor at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. “I don’t think that one can make an argument that we shouldn’t be concerned about drinking raw milk in this era.”

The FDA said t hat it does not yet know whether people can contract bird flu by consuming raw milk and cheese products made from infected cows. The agency recommended that manufacturers refrain from making raw milk or raw milk cheese from cows that show symptoms.

Are eggs safe to eat?

Cal- Maine Foods, a major producer of eggs in the United States, announced this month that it had detected bird flu in a Texas facility and culled more than 1 million birds. Infected hens most likely w ill lay eggs that are also infected with the virus, Aljoša Trmcic said, but he added that it’s very unlikely for a contaminated egg to make it onto the market with the industry controls in place.

Egg products — like liquid egg whites — are pasteurized. But most whole eggs sold in car tons are not pasteurized on the inside, Trmcic said. You need to properly cook t hem to kill pathogens like bird flu, but also more common germs like salmonella. That includes making sure both yolks and whites are firm, not runny. You may also want to avoid dough, sauces, drinks or other items that use raw or undercooked eggs, Detwiler said.

“I’m not saying avoid eating eggs or avoid drinking milk,” Detwiler said. “Go forward with caution.”