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science @lemmy.world usernamesAreTricky @lemmy.ml 4w ago

Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cows

www.nature.com Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cows

New findings point to the milking process as a possible route of avian-influenza spread between cows — and from cow to human.

Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cows

13 comments

Nothing to see here, folks, just experimenting with new vaccine ideas!
- Is it possible exposure to these antigens in milk could protect you from future infection?
  
  No, this isn’t like immunity that a mother’s breast milk can confer to an infant (which is provided through antibodies). What they found in the milk is live, active virus. Trying to get immunity from that would be like trying to get immunity to HIV by drinking the breast milk of someone who’s HIV+.
  
  Maaaaybe, but it'd have to be in a form that's still recognized through digestion and absorption in the guts.
  
  The most likely result would just be some upset tummies if some gut bacteria likes the pieces(if any even survive digestion) and it'd likely give no extra resistance.
But pasteurized milk is still totally safe, right?
- It's not completely. There is some evidence suggesting certain methods may neutralize the virus, however there's also evidence to suggest that flash pasturization may not
  
  That article is terrifying
  
  Oh, i did not know this. The article just says that pasteurization still works but clearly there's some nuance.
- Yes
  
  Oh, good

13 comments