Do you drink raw milk? Study reveals flu virus can survive for days, raising health and safety concerns

According to a new study, raw milk, which is marketed as a natural and healthful alternative to pasteurised dairy, may contain hidden hazards. Study reveals raw milk may harbor infectious flu virus "This work highlights the potential risk of avian influenza transmission through consumption of raw milk and the importance of milk pasteurization," said study senior author Alexandria Boehm, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor of Environmental Studies in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Stanford School of Engineering. "The persistence of infectious influenza virus in raw milk for days raises concerns about potential transmission pathways," said study co-lead author Mengyang Zhang, a postdoctoral scholar in civil and environmental engineering. Additionally, the researchers found that flu virus RNA - molecules that carry genetic information but are not considered a health risk - remained detectable in the raw milk for at least 57 days. Raw milk’s role in flu virus spread "The prolonged persistence of viral RNA in both raw and pasteurized milk has implications for food safety assessments and environmental surveillance, particularly because many of the techniques used in environmental surveillance detect RNA," said study co-lead author Alessandro Zulli, a postdoctoral scholar in civil and environmental engineering.