Amid rising concerns about bird flu affecting dairy cows, experts want the public to know one thing clearly: pasteurized milk is safe.

Dr. Keith Poulsen, Director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, emphasized, “Pasteurization is 100% effective. This is not a food safety issue.”

He also shared reassuring news: no bird flu virus has been found in Wisconsin dairy cows to date.

While poultry have been hit hard by the H5N1 virus, dairy cows experience it very differently. “We’re not seeing cows die from this virus,” Dr. Poulsen said. “Only about 2 to 3 percent of cows are affected, and most recover.”