Pasteurized milk samples tested positive for traces of avian influenza virus in the US

On Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration said samples of pasteurized milk tested positive for traces of the avian influenza virus that infected dairy cows.

The agency (known as the FDA by its English acronym) noted that the material is inactive and that the results “do not represent actual viruses that could pose a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they are continuing to study the issue.

“To date, we have not seen anything that would change our assessment of the safety of commercial milk supplies,” the FDA said in a statement.

The announcement came nearly a month after the avian influenza virus, which has infected millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years, was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. About 33 herds have been affected so far, according to the USDA.

FDA officials did not say how many samples they analyzed or where they were obtained.

The lab test they used would detect viral genetic material even after the live virus had been killed by pasteurization or heat treatment, said Leigh-Ann Jacus, a food microbiologist and virologist emeritus at North Carolina State University.

“There is no evidence to date that this is an infectious virus, and the FDA is monitoring this,” Jacus added.

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