H5N1 in raw milk is a "seven out of ten" pandemic worry, says CSU virologist Angela Bosco

Add to Google Preferred Sources A Colorado State University virologist who tests North American wildlife against emerging pathogens is most concerned about one virus. Angela Bosco-Laflor rates H5N1 bird flu a 7 out of 10 on her personal pandemic-risk scale, pointing to viral loads of 10¹¹–10¹² PFU per milliliter in raw dairy cow milk — concentrations comparable to the highest ever recorded in any infection — and to new genotypes with "scary" traits like improved mammal-to-mammal transmission. Speaking on the This Week in Virology podcast with colleagues Rebecca Kading and Mark Stenglein, she argues the most dangerous factor isn't exotic wildlife but untracked, everyday pathways: raw cat food, dead birds in backyards, and a dairy industry that still cannot explain how the virus moves between cows.