Bird Flu. What's going on? Should milk drinkers be worried?

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posted on

May 10, 2024

Bird flu, bird flu, bird flu. I'm sure you've seen scary headlines like these:

💥 "Deadly flu virus is not just for the birds anymore"
💥 "Bird flu has spread to dairy cows. Is our milk safe?"
💥 "Could Avian Influenza Be The Next Covid-19?"

I mean, how sensational. At this point, you've likely had (at least) a small moment of fear. You maybe have even done an internet search on "bird flu symptoms" (or something like that).

I mean, the government and the media do such a good job of seeding fear about disease. Any fear or anxiety you have about this is not your fault. Gee, just imagine how you'd feel and what the headlines would look like if, instead, the focus switched to spreading hope about natural health! That would be the day.

What's really going on? What do we have evidence of? What questions remain unanswered? Here's a breakdown of it all from my perspective.

Heads up -- it's a loooong post. It needs to be. Instead of fragments of scary information like most media sites put out there, I figure I'd take the time to delve deep and answer the questions that I have (and you might have, too).

*As a disclaimer, I'm not a doctor or a scientist. I'm a passionate real food consumer that loves research and learning new things. Sources are listed at the very bottom.

The truth is that there is zero evidence of viral transmission from milk to humans (even raw milk).

Yes, strains of bird flu were found in US milk (and fragments of these strains were found in pasteurized milk). However, the CDC and USDA reported that the strains lack the genetic markers for viruses adapted to infect humans. You heard that right. Anything that would potentially be in the milk can't infect humans.

The two people infected in this "outbreak" have been farm workers who've had direct contact with infected animals (and, by the way, with one of those cases it's unknown whether the animals were cows or dead birds).

For farm workers, the "WHO assesses the public health risk to the general population posed by this virus to be low and for occupationally exposed persons the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate." So low risk for everyone, and low-moderate risk for farm works.

Furthermore, the two people infected have NOT transmitted it to another human. Sure, the virus could mutate to spread from human to human, but that's not the current reality.

Raw milk has antiviral properties that can prevent disease.

Science shows that raw milk can inactivate viruses and prevent foodborne illness. Multiple researchers have shown that this is a synergistic effect, meaning that there's not one specific thing in the milk that provides this protection. Rather, it's a combination of many things working together in our complex gut ecosystems that include innate and adaptive immune systems

Beyond the studies, this just makes sense in our gut. Let's take this example. Say a breastfeeding mom gets sick. She should NOT stop breastfeeding. Rather, she should 100% continue because she passes immunity along to protect the baby.

It's my opinion that it's better to improve your immune system than try to avoid a specific handful of the billions of bacteria and viruses around us (terrain theory, not germ theory). With potentially harmful pathogens, it's not an "if" you come in contact, it's a "when" you come in contact. Strengthening your body and immune system is your best defense (rather than avoidance).

There's zero evidence showing spread through eating meat or eggs.

I don't think I need to write more here. The above sentence says it all.

Unanswerable Bird Flu Questions

The hard part about writing about bird flu right now is that I have so many questions that I simply cannot find answers to. How can I have an educated stance when I'm confused, when I don't feel like I have all the info? Here are some questions that I'd love to have answered to help formulate a truly educated opinion.

--> How widespread is bird flu in cows? How many farms have been affected?

Some charts show number of positive tests in animals, some show positive milk tests, and some show it combined. Some show the number of states affected, and some show the number of farms. You need to be diligent when looking at the numbers.

From what I found, as of May 2, it looks like there are 36 herds that have had at least one cow with a positive bird flu test. Since there's about 25,000 dairy herds in the US, about 0.1% of farms that have been affected. If we round, that's 0%.

It's my understanding that these are only farms with a reason to test. How many farms have cows with bird flu and don't know it? Furthermore, how sensitive are the tests? Are we counting tests for the full virus, fragments of the virus, or a specific amount of the virus?

So many unknowns and opportunities to skew data to make a point.

--> Are there any farming practices that make bird flu transmission to cows more or less likely?

When there's a food safety risk, headlines nearly always say things like "Dump milk from This Specific Farm" or "Throw away your lettuce from This Specific Company." They call out the specific farm or company producing the food.

But, with the bird flu thing, it's very vague. The articles say "a farm in Texas" or "a farm in Colorado."

Because they're not naming names, I can only assume that the farms affected are part of big ag. They likely sell their milk to mega companies, which are lobbying to protect their brand name (and sales). And that means that, most likely, the infected cows live inside, are fed corn and soy, are given drugs, and all that industrial ag stuff.

And, if that's the case, then it means that cows on small natural farms like ours would be much less likely to contract bird flu. The cows are outside as much as possible (at this time of year, it's all day and night), they eat a natural diet of grass, and are drug-free. They're in natural health. The outside thing might be the biggest variable, because just like with COVID (and basically any virus), outdoor viral spread is rare.

But, of course, I have no way to prove this one way or another. Again, they're not naming farms! And, even if they did, big ag will protect its name. Those industrial farming practices are just fine, right? This makes it impossible to draw any conclusions about why transmission to cows happened in the first place.

--> How serious is bird flu in humans?

This should be a simple one, right? Nope. The info out there is quite confusing.

According to the CDC, "The signs and symptoms of bird flu virus infections in humans range from no symptoms or mild illness such as eye redness or mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms to severe illness such as pneumonia requiring hospitalization." OK, that sounds like a normal flu virus. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and the most vulnerable are probably those who are immunocompromised (sick, elderly, etc).

But then, according to the WHO, the death rate is 56% (other sources cite the fatality rate from 40-60%). Seriously!?!? If that were true for all people, it would be truly terrifying.

Most likely, there should be some disclaimers about the fatality stats. I'd like to know these things. Was the percent based on hospitalized people only? If some people show no symptoms, were they be included in the total count of those infected (of course not)? Where did these deaths happen? How long were people infected before getting treatment? What was the quality of care and resources in those hospitals?

But, let's stop and think. How can anyone put a scary stat about death out there without some serious disclaimers about the data? It's obvious that that stat is for people who are already very sick and hospitalized.

--> How does bird flu get into milk anyway?

Bird flu is a respiratory disease, NOT a blood disease. Why is this important? Because milk is made from blood. If the bird flu virus isn't in blood, then there's no way for it to get into the milk (at last the milk when it's inside a body).

So, how does it get into the milk? Articles online haven't really explained this. They've only cited that fragments of bird flu have been found in pasteurized milk. In the same articles, they tout how amazing our testing capabilities are and how we can detect even the smallest fragments. So how much of the virus is in the milk is unknown, too.

Again, how does the virus get into milk? The only explanation is that it must be from an outside source. Perhaps droplets from an infected cow's saliva, respiratory droplets, urine, or feces. Another theory is that mastitis happens as an inflammatory response, and the infection is spreading to the teats. But again, this is yet to be proven.

In my opinion, it's most likely from respiratory droplets in the air in poorly ventilated milking spaces. But again, I have no way to prove that.

--> Why the hype?

Given the data, bird flu in humans doesn't seem like a big threat. This is especially true when compared to the wars, malnutrition, lack of clean water, and all the other huge issues around the world.

So, why? I mean, it's definitely click bait that gets ratings up. Maybe it's just something to talk about. Maybe it's a distraction from other news. Maybe it's a ploy to promote pasteurized dairy. Or maybe it's to promote a new bird flu vaccine. We may never know!

What is Miller's Bio Farm doing to prevent bird flu?

Well, we're going to continue doing what we normally do. Our cows will live a naturally happy, healthy life. They're outdoors at pasture as much as the weather allows. They eat a natural diet of 100% grass. We have meticulous cleaning and milk safety standards to minimize any potential pathogens getting in the milk. And, as usual, we carefully watch the health of our cows (they rarely fall ill).

We will not be testing for bird flu... unless we're required to. We don't feel it's necessary. Given the current info, we don't view bird flu as a risk. If we see evidence showing otherwise, of course we would take action then.

What do you think about bird flu? Are you nervous, or is it just hype?

I'd love for you to join the conversation. Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us.

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Sources

What does pasture raised eggs mean to our farm?

Pasture raised? What does this term really mean and what are our requirements for having "pasture raised" eggs?

How to know if you can trust your raw milk farm

*Originally published on 1/13/26, Updated on 2/01/26.* I know how hard it is to find clean raw milk from a farm you can actually trust. You may have spent hours researching farms, reading reviews, asking questions in Facebook groups. Maybe you’ve even driven out to visit farms, met the farmers, looked at their operations. Or maybe you've been burned before by a farm that talked a good game but cut corners. Or maybe you're still searching for that one farm where you can feel completely confident giving their milk to your kids.So let me tell you what happened here in the last few weeks, because this story will show you exactly who we are, and more importantly, it might help you figure out what to look for in any farm you're considering trusting with your family's health. The first email It started the day after Christmas. A customer emailed in saying she wasn't feeling well after drinking our raw milk. Then, a day or two later, another email. Another customer, same story. The team got the details from them, the label color and the dates on the milk. My stomach dropped, it was my brother John's milk. Now here's what most farms would've done, and I'm being completely honest with you. They would've thought "it's only two people out of hundreds, it's January, it's flu season, the flu is spreading like wildfire right now, it's probably just that" and moved on with their day. Maybe they would've made a mental note to keep an ear out for more complaints, but that would've been it. I tried to tell myself the same thing that night. "It's probably nothing. It's flu season. These things happen." But I couldn't sleep. Because what if it wasn't nothing? What if there was even a small chance that something was wrong with our milk, and we did nothing about it? A tough decision I then contacted a DHIA to come out to test the milk. See, we'd already done our regular testing, the testing we do on every single batch that isn't even required by law. But those two emails kept replaying in my head. We needed to know for sure. We sent the milk samples to the state lab that day. Then came the hardest part, the waiting. If you've ever waited for medical test results, you know that feeling. Every hour feels like a day. You check your email or phone constantly. You play out every possible scenario in your head. And since we were now working with the state the test result didn't come back instantly, it took 2 weeks. The result that changed everything When the State inspector stopped in Thursday the 8th they confirmed the testing results."Positive for Campylobacter." We’ve been doing this a long time. Through every season, every challenge, and every batch of milk, we’ve never had a positive Campylobacter test. That’s not luck, it’s the result of how seriously we take producing clean, safe raw milk. I sat there just processing it. The inspector then let John know that we couldn't use his milk until it was clean again. What happened next Immediately we'd pulled all of John's milk from going out the door. Then I started drafting an email, one that had to be sent to over 800 trusting customers. Every single family who had purchased milk from us and possibly John's farm in the affected timeframe. Some people thanked us for being proactive and honest. Some were understandably upset, and they had every right to be. A few were scared. I told a few to call or email back if they had concerns or if anyone in their family started feeling sick. Those were some of the hardest phone calls and emails I've ever answered. But every single one of those families deserved to hear it directly from us, not from a recall notice in the mail, a news station, or a post on social media. The State gets involved The State inspector put John's farm under official quarantine on 1/8. That means no milk leaves his farm until we get two consecutive clean tests, taken at least a week apart. The farm is certified for raw milk production in PA. That's why the State got involved. *Side note: If a farm was NOT certified and is operating with a PMA (private membership) or just on the black market, none of the above would have happened. What's going on with the state of our raw milk right now? If you're a current customer reading this, here's what you need to know: Your milk is safe.Look at the bottles in your fridge right now. See those colored "best by" stickers? Blue, orange, and green? That's our farm identification system. We implemented this color-coding years ago as an extra safety measure, a way to quickly trace every bottle back to its source farm. At the time, it seemed like overkill. Now I'm incredibly grateful we did it, because that system is exactly what allowed us to identify which specific farm the issue came from within hours and protect everyone else. Right now, you're only receiving milk from our three other farms: Ben’s farm, David’s farm, and Daniel’s farm. All three have tested completely clean. All three are operating under the exact same safety standards they always have. All three continue to be inspected regularly by the state and tested by us with every single batch.If you see blue, green, or orange stickers on your milk, you're good. If you happen to have bottles with different colored stickers and you're concerned, please give us a call or send us an email. But based on our testing timeline and distribution records, the affected milk has already been consumed or disposed of. Our testing standards and why they matter to us Let me pull back the curtain and show you exactly what goes into keeping your milk safe, both what the law requires and what we do beyond that. What Pennsylvania Law Requires:The State of Pennsylvania doesn't mess around with raw milk safety. And honestly, we're glad they don't. Here's what they require to have a raw milk permit: Our milk is tested for general bacteria counts twice per month at state-certified laboratories.Our farms are physically inspected every three months specifically for raw milk production safety standards.Our cows are tested twice per year for pathogens at state-certified labs.We undergo standard dairy inspections twice per year (these are separate from the raw milk inspections).**These aren't suggestions. These are legal requirements, and farms that don't meet them lose their raw milk licenses. What we do beyond these requirements: Here's where we go further than the law requires, and this is important: We test every single batch of our milk, on-site, before it goes out to customers.YES. Every. Single. Batch.We test for:TCC (Total Coliform Count) - this tells us about general sanitary conditionsSPC (Standard Plate Count) - this tells us the overall bacteria levels The state doesn't require this batch-by-batch testing. Most raw milk farms don't do it because the testing equipment is expensive and it takes time and expertise. We do it anyway because when you're trusting us with your family's health, "meeting the minimum requirements" isn't good enough for us. We also have super meticulous cleaning standards. After we started testing every batch, we were able to see how much cleaning affects milk quality. For this reason, our barns and milking parlors are much cleaner than the average barn. We have the data to know it matters... a lot. Plus we have extra hot water for cleaning. We know that matters, too. Check out our milk safety here. The real question is who can you trust in the raw milk game? Here's what I've learned about trust in the raw milk world: Any farm can talk about their safety standards when everything's going smoothly. Any farm can show you their clean barns and happy cows and tell you all the right things when you visit. But… you truly know who a farm really is by what they do when something goes wrong. Think about it. We could've ignored those two phone calls and convinced ourselves it was just the flu. We could've done the bare minimum, waited for the state's regular testing to maybe catch it, or maybe not. We could've quietly stopped using John's milk without telling anyone why. We could've sent out a vague email about "an abundance of caution" without admitting what actually happened. Instead, we: Took those two complaints seriously immediately, even when it would've been easier to dismiss them.Ordered extra testing on our own dime without being required to.Shut down production with John’s milk the moment we got a positive result.Emailed every potentially affected customer.Voluntarily reported to the state before they found it themselves. Are being completely transparent with you right now, even though it's embarrassing and painful and might make customers lose trust and go somewhere else.I'm not telling you this to pat ourselves on the back. I'm telling you this because this is what you should demand from any farm you're considering. Not perfection, no farm can guarantee perfection, and any farm that claims they can is lying. But you deserve a farm that will tell you the truth and do the right thing when problems happen. Questions you should ask ANY raw dairy farm:If you're shopping around for a raw milk source, here are the questions you should be asking:"Do you do any testing beyond what the state requires?"If they say no, that's not necessarily a dealbreaker. Plenty of farms only do state-required testing and produce perfectly safe milk. But if they say yes, ask them to explain exactly what they test for and how often. Farms that go the extra mile will be proud to tell you about it in detail."Can I see your most recent state inspection report?"By law, these are public records. A good farm will show you without hesitation. If they dodge this question or get defensive, walk away."How do you track which farm or batch milk comes from?"If they have multiple farms or multiple days of production, they need a tracking system. Our colored stickers might seem simple, but that simple system saved us in this situation. If they can't tell you how they'd trace a problem back to its source, that's a problem."Have you ever had to recall or stop production? What happened?"I wish I could tell you we've never had issues, but that would be dishonest. We had an issue a few years ago with RB51, a child was hospitalized from it. It was caused by the VACCINE strain of brucellosis. This is why we no longer allow cows in our herds who have been vaccinated for brucellosis. What matters is how farms handle those situations. When it comes to food, it's not a matter of IF but WHEN with food safety. According to the CDC 1.5 million people are become ill from Campylobacter on a yearly basis. Most of these cases come from raw or undercooked poultry or raw poultry juices. So where do we go from here? Well, John's farm is under quarantine until we get two consecutive clean tests. The first round of retesting was Thursday the 8th and the results came back negative on 1/14. And then there's another test that was taken Monday 1/12 and the results from that test was also negative. He's checking the milking equipment, the cleaning protocols, the cow health, the water sources, everything. We're not cutting corners. We're not rushing this. We're doing it right, even if it takes months. In the meantime, your orders will keep coming from our three other farms. Same quality, same safety standards, same farmers who care deeply about what they're producing. Check those blue, green and orange stickers, that's your assurance of exactly where your milk is coming from. We're also reviewing our protocols across all four farms. Could we test more frequently? Should we upgrade equipment? Are there additional safety measures we should implement? We're asking ourselves hard questions and we're willing to invest whatever it takes to prevent this from happening again.Why are we telling you all of this? I debated whether to write this post. Part of me wanted to handle this quietly, just contact the affected customers and move on. It would be easier. Less risky. Less embarrassing. But that's not who we are, and more importantly, that's not what you deserve. You deserve to know. You deserve to know everything about your food, in good times and in bad. We're heartbroken this happened. Truly. But we're also rolling up our sleeves and doing everything right. We hope that we can earn back your trust. Because at the end of the day, trust isn't built by being perfect, it's built by being honest, being thorough, and doing the right thing even when it's hard.I know you probably have questions. Here are the most common ones we have been getting:Q: Should I be worried about the milk I already drank?A: If you drank milk from John's farm in the affected timeframe and you're feeling fine, you're almost certainly fine. The milk, whether in glass or plastic, would have had a white label on it with a date between 1/16-1/22. Plus, we directly emailed anyone who could have gotten that milk… so you would know.Q: How do I know if I’m sick because of Campylobacter?A. Campylobacter symptoms typically appear within 2-5 days. And symptoms can last up to 7 days. If you do develop symptoms (diarrhea, cramping, fever), hydrate, rest and nourish your body with bone broth, sourdough toast, bland foods (like a BRAT diet - bananas, rice, apples, and toast). Most cases resolve on their own.Q: How did this happen if you test every batch?A: That's exactly why we're investigating John’s cleaning protocols and farming standards. We're reviewing the timing of tests, storage protocols, everything. Once we know, we'll implement changes to help prevent something like this from happening again.Q: Will you use John’s farm’s milk in the future?A: If the milk is clean and the problem is resolved, yes we will. We will require two consecutive clean tests at least a week apart. And, we’ll need to identify and address the root cause. We won't rush this. Safety first, always.Q: Are you changing your safety protocols?A: We're reviewing everything right now. If we identify improvements we can make, we'll make them immediately across all farms. You can view our milk safety and protocols here: https://millersbiofarm.com/mil... The bottom lineWe believe raw milk should come from a place where questions are welcomed, testing is routine, and honesty isn’t conditional. We believe in the benefits of raw milk and all its wonderful properties. Raw milk is honestly incredible for your body when you think about what's actually in it. It's a complete, living food packed with natural enzymes, vitamins, healthy fatty acids, and powerful immune-boosting compounds like immunoglobulins that work with your body exactly as nature intended. Raw milk keeps all those beneficial bacteria that are amazing for your digestion and gut health. You're getting natural antimicrobials and probiotics that actively support your immune system and help your body thrive. It's basically the difference between drinking something truly alive and nourishing versus something that's been processed into a pale imitation of real milk. When you drink raw milk, you're getting all the goodness that's meant to be there, nothing destroyed, nothing missing, just pure nutrition the way it was designed to fuel and protect your body. *UPDATE 2/01/26 John's herd has now had 2 negatives and the milk is safe to use again so we are integrating his milk back into our production again. I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our community (no account required). Or, contact us to keep it private 😊 References: https://www.cdc.gov/campylobac...

What are phytoestrogens and how can we limit them in our food sources?

With all the artificial ingredients, processed junk, and fillers in our food today, do phytoestrogens really deserve our attention? Let's take a closer look at what they are and share some practical ways you can reduce how much you're getting in your everyday meals.

Bird Flu. What's going on? Should milk drinkers be worried?

The truth is that there is zero evidence of viral transmission from milk to humans (even raw milk).

Raw milk has antiviral properties that can prevent disease.

There's zero evidence showing spread through eating meat or eggs.

Unanswerable Bird Flu Questions

What is Miller's Bio Farm doing to prevent bird flu?

What do you think about bird flu? Are you nervous, or is it just hype?

More from the blog

What does pasture raised eggs mean to our farm?

How to know if you can trust your raw milk farm

What are phytoestrogens and how can we limit them in our food sources?

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