#h5n1

#h5n1

In spring, consumers in the United States found themselves having to hunt for something that had previously been exceedingly easy to find: eggs. Some supermarkets limited customers to a single carton per visit, but still ran out. Shoppers who did manage to find eggs in stock paid dearly - a dozen could sell for more than US$11. For many people, it was the first indication that the country was in the midst of a devastating bird-flu outbreak.

Cheese made from contaminated raw milk was found to contain infectious avian influenza virus, raising potential health concerns for consumers, according to new research. The study also found that no virus was detected in samples of raw milk cheese with high acidity. Feta cheese, which is naturally more acidic, served as an example of this safer variety. The findings were published on October 8 in Nature Medicine.