The United States issued a federal order on Friday requiring the nation’s milk supply to be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to address the rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds.
Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds in California, the top dairy state, and more than 700 across the country since March, according to the USDA, raising concerns about the impact on farmers and milk supplies as well as risks to human health. . of continuous spread.
Nearly 60 people have been infected with the virus since April, most of them workers on infected poultry and dairy farms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms were mild, and CDC officials said the risk to the general public from bird flu was low.
The USDA first announced that it would begin testing milk nationally in October after a push by industry and veterinary groups for stronger surveillance of the virus, but did not provide details on the scope of the program or how it would be implemented.
The testing plan, which will involve collecting monthly or weekly samples from bulk milk tanks and dairy processors, will be rolled out first in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Oregon, Vilsack said.
Get weekly health news
Get the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
The last three states have not reported cases of bird flu in dairy cows.
“It gives us the opportunity to get potential information about a possible new virus in areas of the state where the virus is currently present, or new states,” Vilsack said of the testing.
Vilsack said the agency will begin testing on December 16.
The pace of testing will depend on whether the virus is detected in initial samples, said Rosemary Sifford, the USDA’s chief veterinarian.
It requires farms and processors to provide raw milk for sampling, and requires farm owners whose animals test positive for the virus to tell the agency about animal movements and other information.
The USDA currently only requires testing of lactating dairy cattle moving across state lines, a requirement set forth in its only other federal order on bird flu issued in April.
Both federal orders will remain in effect indefinitely, Vilsack said, adding that the testing plan was developed with industry groups, state officials and veterinarians.
This week, the state of California issued a recall of milk and cream products produced by raw milk company Raw Farm after bird flu was discovered in retail and bulk milk products.
The Food and Drug Administration advises against consuming raw milk because it can contain pathogens, including bird flu, but says pasteurized dairy products are safe because the pasteurization process kills pathogens.
The state has about 1,100 dairies, according to the California Milk Advisory Board, meaning about half of them have bird flu.
