Transmission to humans

Bird flu: milking machine catastrophe feared

Symbolic image

(Bild: Oulailux - stock.adobe.com)

It is a worrying development concerning the bird flu virus: according to a new US study, the pathogen can remain infectious for hours on milking machines. This means that H5N1 can infect not only cows but also dairy workers. Protective measures are required immediately.

The bird flu virus continues to spread in the USA. Particularly worrying: according to the CDC, four cases of transmission to humans have already been identified. Three of them were infected in dairies.

"Milking facilities contaminated for a long time"
"Our data show that the surfaces of milking facilities can remain contaminated for a long time, increasing the risk of transmission from a sick animal to a human," warns a study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Emory University in Emerging Infectious Diseases. According to the CDC, H5N1 could adapt through viral evolution so that it can be transmitted from person to person.

Corona only a "walk in the park" in comparison
Charité virologist Christian Drosten is also worried - he fears an imminent pandemic. Corona would seem like a walk in the park in comparison, he warns. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, agrees: A bird flu pandemic could "potentially be even more catastrophic than Corona". The world is not prepared for this, as experts recently pointed out in a technical report.

Dairy employees at great risk
There are several sources of risk for dairy employees, writes ntv. For example, they can become infected during pre-milking, as the first streams of milk are always expressed by hand. Workers can also be splashed. This happens when the cups attached to the teats of the udders are automatically detached at the end of milking. Scientists are concerned that milking often takes place at eye level with humans. The pathogen then enters the mucous membranes of the employees via the infected milk.

Urgent measures required
According to studies, H5N1 is likely to survive for at least one hour on stainless steel and at least three hours on rubber, which is what the hoses of the teat cups are made of. According to the experts, measures are urgently needed. Dairy employees are advised to use face and eye protection and to wear masks. To prevent the bird flu virus from spreading among the cows, the liners of the milking machines should be carefully disinfected after each process.