AAP Updates Raw Milk Policy Citing H5N1 Persistence and Pathogen Risks in Pediatrics Statement
AAP policy update synthesizes outbreak data and new H5N1 findings to reaffirm that raw dairy poses preventable severe infection risks to children and pregnant people. Pasteurization eliminates these hazards without nutritional loss. Continued legal availability in multiple states sustains exposure despite clear evidence.
Emerging H5N1 data connect raw-milk advocacy to a novel influenza threat that prior policies could not address. Next steps require prospective serologic surveillance of raw-milk consumers and quantitative viral-load studies across pasteurization methods to establish transmission thresholds. Without these data, state-level policy remains driven by anecdote rather than calibrated risk.
CDC: At least one confirmed human H5N1 case linked to raw milk consumption reported by June 2027
Sources (3)
- [1]Primary Source(https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2025-XXXXXX)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-outbreaks.html)
- [3]Supporting Source(https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2401234)