Rats Experienced High Levels of Bird Flu After Being Given Raw Milk: Study

Rats experienced high levels of bird flu after being given raw milk, according to a study published Friday amid warnings from public health officials to avoid drinking the unpasteurized dairy product.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory gave drops of raw milk from infected cows to five mice. On the first day, they showed signs of illness, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers found high levels of the virus in the rats’ trachea, nasal passages and lungs, the study said. Smaller amounts were found in other organs. They also found that the level of bird flu decreased when milk was stored at a lower refrigerator temperature, but the authors cautioned that the study settings were not identical to large-scale industrial pasteurization of raw milk.

This week, a farmworker in Michigan became the second person confirmed to be infected with bird flu in the US. Both people experienced mild symptoms and have since recovered.

Bird flu was first detected in cows two months ago and has been detected in 51 herds and nine states since then.

But scientists and public health officials say the U.S. is not conducting enough tests to capture the full spectrum of the spread.

Bird flu has caused deadly infections across the world. The virus has circulated in at least 23 countries since 2003, causing about 900 cases in humans, usually among people who come close to infected birds.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story