Health Alert: Experts are already very worried about the H5N1 bird flu. According to them, this disease can spread very fast and the death toll from it can be 100 times more than that of Covid.
According to the report, this virus has now reached a stage from where it can spread the epidemic all over the world.
Now the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that recently a bird flu named H5N1 has been found in very high quantities in the raw milk of sick animals.
However, it is not yet known how long this virus can survive in milk.
Recently some cows in Texas, USA got bird flu. A person working in a dairy farm there also got this disease due to caring for these cows.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that this is a matter of concern. Till now bird flu was spread by birds, but this is the first time that cows have transmitted this disease to humans.
Some scientists believe that the bird flu virus is changing. Earlier it spread only from birds to cows, but now this disease is spreading from cows to cows and from cows to birds as well. Another matter of concern is that this virus has also been found in the milk of sick cows.
This is surprising for scientists because they did not think that this flu could affect cows and goats. But investigations have shown that some cows were indeed infected with bird flu. In such a situation, is it safe to drink cow’s milk? Let’s understand in this special story.
First know what is H5N1 flu?
H5N1 is a type of flu virus, but it is not a human flu but a bird flu. That is why it is also called bird flu. This virus mainly lives in birds and makes them sick. Sometimes other mammals can also get it.
If a bird gets this flu, then humans can also get infected by being near it, touching it or touching its droppings. If there are sick birds in a place, then that place can also become contaminated and humans can get sick from it. If this flu is transmitted to humans, then it can be very serious. It can cause high fever, cough, sore throat, pneumonia (lung infection) or sometimes a very bad condition.
Is bird flu more dangerous than corona?Â
Avian Influenza H5N1 virus was first discovered in 1996. But since 2020, its spread is increasing rapidly. Crores of chickens have died due to this virus. Wild birds, land animals and sea animals are also getting infected by it. Now this virus is also spreading in cows and goats.
Now the biggest concern is that this virus can spread to humans as well. That is why the European Union’s Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has warned that if this virus spreads rapidly among humans, it can take the form of a major epidemic.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 52 percent of the people who have been affected by the H5N1 flu since 2003 have died.
That is, out of every 100 sick people, more than 50 died. It is worth noting that this figure has reduced a lot in the case of Covid-19. The number of people dying due to corona infection has now come down to 0.1%, whereas at the beginning of the epidemic this figure was 20%. But in the case of bird flu, the percentage of people dying is much higher than this.
Is it safe to drink cow and buffalo milk?
The US disease prevention agency CDC says that there is not much danger for the common people right now. Especially for those who do not live around sick animals. Government organizations are keeping an eye on this whole matter, and are also looking into whether this virus is becoming more dangerous for humans. However, for now, to stay healthy, it is important that you drink only pasteurized milk.
If you drink pasteurized milk, then there is nothing to worry about. The US Food and Drug Administration says that it is necessary to pasteurize milk before selling it and this process kills viruses like bird flu.
So is it not safe to drink raw milk anymore?
The US Food and Drug Administration says that it is not yet clear whether the H5N1 virus can spread through raw milk or dairy products like cheese. However, this organization has always advised that people should not drink raw milk. The reason for this is that raw milk may contain dangerous bacteria that can make children, the elderly, pregnant women or people with weak immunity sick.
What is pasteurization? Can it kill bird flu?
Pasteurization is a process of heating milk. It was discovered in the 1860s by a French scientist named Louis Pasteur. Since then, it has been used to kill harmful bacteria and disease-causing germs present in milk.
The process of pasteurization also kills the virus that causes bird flu. That is why doctors say that there is no danger in drinking pasteurized milk and packaged milk available in the market. Some dairy products are ‘ultra pasteurized’. In this, the milk is heated quickly at a higher temperature (a few seconds) than normal pasteurization and then cooled quickly. This can prevent the milk from spoiling for a longer time.
What are the dangers of drinking raw milk?Â
Some people like raw milk more. They see many benefits because of it. For example, raw milk is thicker and tastes better. Some people believe that it is also easier to digest and is more nutritious.
But most such claims on raw milk have been proven wrong. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that raw milk is not a cure for lactose intolerance.
Raw milk may contain bacteria that were present in the old days when processes like pasteurization did not exist and food items were not as clean.
Children are most at risk. Drinking contaminated raw milk can cause serious illness, in some cases even kidney failure. At the same time, there is no cure yet for some diseases caused by raw milk, especially those affecting children.
