Latest news with #Avianflu
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The FDA Just Suspended Milk Quality Testing for Avian Flu and Other Viruses
Consumers look to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for guidance and oversight regarding a number of issues, including food safety. However, recent staff reductions and budget cuts have sparked discussion about the agency's ability to fulfill its mission as it continues to operate at a reduced capacity. As talk of additional reductions looms, it has been revealed that a FDA program that tests milk quality has now been suspended. On April 21, the FDA suspended one of its programs that oversees the safety of dairy products nationwide. This week, Reuters reported on an internal email addressed to "Network Laboratories" from the FDA's Division on Dairy Safety stating that the Moffett Center Proficiency Testing Laboratory is "no longer able to provide proficiency testing and data analysis." This change is due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division. The suspension includes quality testing for Grade "A" milk, which has the highest sanitary standards, and includes both raw milk and finished products, such as pasteurized milk and cheese. This news comes after it was announced earlier this month that the FDA would also be suspending the programs that oversee testing accuracy regarding avian flu in milk, as well as parasites such as Cyclospora, which can affect raw milk. It is believed that the suspensions are the result of staff shortages after nearly 20,000 U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees were terminated in March. It's unclear what, if any, effects the disruption will have on consumers. However, the pause is expected to be temporary. Emily Hiliard, Deputy Press Secretary for HHS, told Allrecipes in a statement that testing is expected to continue once the department's transition is completed. "The Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program is currently paused but will resume once transferred to another FDA laboratory—an effort that is actively underway," Hiliard continues, "In the meantime, state and federal labs continue to analyze food samples, and FDA remains committed to working with states to protect the safety of the pasteurized milk supply." At present, no official timeline has been given regarding the program's resumption. The FDA says it will continue to work with state and federal labs to ensure food safety. Additionally, prior FDA research has shown that pasteurization is effective in killing the H5N1 (Avian flu) virus, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that "consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations." Consumers can additionally seek brands that utilize independent, third-party testing. Some milk brands have their products evaluated by third parties to ensure they meet safety standards and are free from viruses and bacteria, even beyond what state and federal guidelines require. This information is typically available on the brand's website, but if you can't find it, don't hesitate to reach out to the company for more information on its internal testing practices. A USDA Organic certification does not necessarily mean a product is safer or that it has undergone additional food safety testing. In the meantime, it's also crucial to stay up to date on recalls and public health alerts on the FDA and USDA websites. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health experts reveal new list of diseases that may pose threat to public health
A new list of 24 infectious diseases that could become more common in the UK has been published by Government health experts. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) say that Norovirus and Avian flu, otherwise known as bird flu, are on the list as well as mosquito-spread illnesses. New tests and vaccines will now be researched by scientists and investors 'in the interests of biosecurity'. The list is aimed to be updated once a year, and there is no ranking since threats constantly change. Today, @covidinquiryuk heard that the government instructed PPE suppliers to prioritise English NHS settings over Scotland. Just as shocking, the government withdrew embassy support from Scottish government officials negotiating PPE deals in foreign countries. — Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK (@CovidJusticeUK) March 24, 2025 The document states that the risk of certain illnesses has increased due to climate change. It adds: 'There have been significant efforts, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, by a number of organisations to 'prioritise pathogens' for various different reasons. 'The purpose of this tool is to describe important pathogen families where investment into DTV research and development is most needed in the interests of biosecurity. 'We think this tool will be of most interest to academic institutions and England-based funders of health research.' A family of viruses called Paramyxoviridae, which includes measles, is on the list and some bacteria also feature, including those such as gonorrhoea. Adenovirus Lassa fever Norovirus Mers Ebola (and similar viruses, such as Marburg) Flaviviridae (which includes dengue, Zika and hepatitis C) Hantavirus Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever Flu (non-seasonal, including avian) Nipah virus Oropouche Rift Valley fever Acute flaccid myelitis Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) Mpox Chikungunya Anthrax Q fever Enterobacteriaceae (such as E. coli and Yersinia pestis, which causes plague) Tularaemia Moraxellaceae (which cause lung, urine and bloodstream infections) Gonorrhoea Staphlylococcus Group A and B Strep Recommended reading: Lessons not learned from Covid five years on from lockdown, campaigners say Scotland avoided PPE 'VIP lane' due to devolution, UK Covid-19 Inquiry told The 5 things Covid 19 lockdown taught Brits 5 years on The UK Biological Security Strategy report, published in 2023, that is referenced in the new document, stated 'the risk of an outbreak of a new animal or plant pest or pathogen in the UK over the next five years has increased and is likely to continue to do so over the next decade.' The UKHSA prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Avian bird flu sparks concerns amongst Pawleys Island General Store in big poultry factory farms
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WBTW) — The avian bird flu outbreak has caused millions of birds to be slaughtered across the county due to the virus spreading rapidly amongst larger flocks. Pawleys Island General Store Owner Marybeth Pope said she wasn't shocked when she found out the Avian flu, better known as the bird flu, was spreading once again across the US. 'There's been a number of outbreaks of bird flu,' she said. 'I mean, there were outbreaks in 2023. There were outbreaks I think in 2020, 2019, 2015.' She believed the bird flu continues to make an appearance because of the working conditions of thousands of poultry factory farms and their unhealthy living conditions. 'They're in very, very close quarters. They're usually on transport. You can see the trucks, they're there, they're transported, stacked on top of each other when they're going to slaughter,' she said. 'Getting something like the bird flu, then it's also transmitted through the feces and their saliva. And they're in such close quarters, it's just naturally going to happen.' Pope said her store hasn't seen any problems when it comes to the bird flu due to all of their poultry and other meats coming from local farmers. Their eggs and chicken are brought in from Georgetown and Saint Johns Island and have a direct relationship with the farmers and what they offer. She said the eggs and chicken sold are all free-range chickens, which means they're able to roam around the farm outdoors for most of their day and live a normal chicken life instead of being confined to a small cage. 'We know our farmer and where the eggs came from, where the chicken came from, where the meat came from,' Pope said. 'So, they're confident we're going to do the right thing.' Pope said although her business hasn't been affected, she's saddened for the birds that are being killed due to consumer concerns. She said the flu is mild flu that would have the effects of a common cold for humans if were to be impacted by it. She said it can also usually be transferred from different birds and animals. 'It can be transmitted from migratory birds. It can be transmitted from maybe predatory animals like a coyote or some other animal that maybe eats a migratory bird or a wild turkey or something,' she said. Pope said although the bird flu can even happen in your own backyard, big factory poultry farms are the main source of spreading due to their conditions. 'But what happens is the birds are in such close proximity just crowded shoulder to shoulder. Basically, it stresses them out. They're not in a natural environment and it makes them more susceptible to illness,' she said. 'Even like people — if you're stressed out, that can make you more susceptible to illness in general.' But Pope said there may be a way to stop people from the fear of the bird flu by becoming more aware of it and prevent even large factories from having to meaninglessly kill them for precautionary concerns, and that is, by still eating them safely. 'If you cook your chicken or your eggs to a safe temperature, which is 165, basically for chicken and for eggs,' Pope said. 'So, if you're cooking your product to the proper temperature, it's going to kill the bird flu. So, there's really not a problem with it.' Always having a passion for locally-sourced farm-to-table goods, for the roughly 10 years the General Store has been open, Pope said she doesn't plan on changing her store's values when it comes to selling locally sourced goods. She said her store's eggs cost $7.50, a concern she said many consumers have for the price. But Pope hopes more people can learn from the bird flu why locally sourced food is important and why it costs what it does. 'We just have to keep educating people, talking to people and making them understand that it costs more for a small farmer to produce his product than it does a large corporation,' she said. 'And in the end, we should support that small form of farmer that should be important to us because it supports our local economy. It's better for you, it's better for your children, it's better for your family. And then it just grows from there.' With colder conditions not having hens lay as many eggs, she said her egg stock is low not because of the bird flu. A flu, she said, should be educated more about with outbreaking in factory farming — not local farming. 'I don't think is ever going to go away as long as we have factory farming and chickens and turkeys and animals are grown, are raised in overcrowded conditions, I don't think that's ever going to go away,' Pope said. 'People might become used to it, but people might educate themselves and realize that they don't have to be 'used to it.'' * * * Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
