Bird flu: Why health experts are so worried about raw milk

(NEXSTAR) – As the avian influenza virus, type A H5N1, continues to spread to an unknown number of dairy cows, health experts are informing the public milk and other dairy products are still safe to consume – with one major exception.

When a cow is infected with bird flu, high amounts of the virus can be detected in its milk. However, the pasteurization process kills off or inactivates the virus, the Food and Drug Administration says.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is not pasteurized.