Read previewContaminated milk may be spreading H5N1 bird flu between dairy cattle, contributing to a major outbreak across 12 US states. A new study shows the virus can survive for over an hour in raw (unpasteurized) milk left on the surfaces of materials used in equipment for milking dairy cattle. That's a clue in the mystery of how the virus has spread so rapidly between US dairy cattle, infecting over 130 herds in Idaho, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, and more. The cattle outbreak has scientists increasingly worried that the H5N1 virus could mutate enough to cause an outbreak in humans. However, the study suggests that cleaning milking equipment between cows and outfitting workers with protective gear could help prevent the spread.

---

Persons: —, Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz, Christopher Dye, Tony Kanaan, Jeff Haynes, Tom Vilsack, Meghan Davis, Davis, Robert F Organizations: Service, Business, CDC, AP, University of Oxford, FDA, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor, Reuters, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Workers Locations: Idaho , Michigan, Colorado , Texas, Brazil, Clinton , Maine, milkings