A large percentage of Americans wrongly believe that raw milk is safe to drink despite government warnings that it is not, a new survey shows Many are unaware that pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses or were unsure about it Many also wrongly believe that pasteurizing milk makes it less nutritious WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Few Americans understand the health risks of drinking raw milk, a new survey shows, so experts are redoubling efforts to get the word out on its dangers. The push dovetails with the discovery this spring of bird flu virus in milk from infected cows. The H5N1 virus is widespread in wild birds worldwide and causing outbreaks in poultry and U.
S. dairy cows. As of June 21, four human cases of the H5N1 flu had been reported in the United States.
"It is important that anyone planning to consume raw milk be aware that doing so can make you sick and that pasteurization reduces the risk of milk-borne illnesses," said Patrick Jamieson , director of the Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Milk from cows, sheep, goats and other animals that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs is called raw or unpasteurized. The U.
S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says consuming unpasteurized milk and products made from it can expose people to germs such as E. coli, listeria and salmonella.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the commercial milk supply -- which is pasteurized -- .
