The United States issued a federal order on Friday mandating that the nation’s milk be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to address the rapid spread of the virus in dairy herds.
Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds in the top dairy region of California, and more than 700 across the country since March, according to the US Department of Agriculture, raising concerns about the impact on farmers and the supply of milk and the risk to human health. from continuous diffusion.
About 60 people have contracted the virus since April, most of them workers at infected poultry and dairy farms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The symptoms were mild and CDC officials said the risk to the general public of bird flu is low.
The USDA initially announced it would begin national milk testing in October after a campaign from industry and animal groups to strictly monitor the virus, but has not yet specified the scope of the program or how it will be implemented.
The testing program, which will include monthly or weekly sample collection from bulk milk tanks and milk processors, will begin first in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Oregon, Vilsack said.
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The last three counties reported no cases of bird flu in dairy cattle.
“It gives us an opportunity to get information about a potentially new virus in areas of the state that already have the virus, or new states,” Vilsack said of the testing.
The center will begin testing on December 16, Vilsack said.
The pace of testing will depend on whether the virus is found in initial samples, said Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s chief veterinarian.
The order requires farms and processors to process raw milk for sampling, and farm owners whose animals are found to be infected to tell the agency about animal movements and other information.
The USDA currently only requires testing of lactating dairy cows that travel across state lines, a requirement set forth in another of its bird flu orders issued in April.
Both federal orders will remain in effect indefinitely, Vilsack said, adding that the pilot program was developed with industry groups, state officials and veterinarians.
California this week issued a recall of milk and cream products made by raw milk company Raw Farm after bird flu was found in its retail products and bulk milk.
The Food and Drug Administration advises against consuming raw milk because it can contain bacteria, including bird flu, but says pasteurized milk products are safe because the pasteurization process kills those bacteria.
The state has about 1,100 dairies, according to the California Milk Advisory Board, which means about half have been infected with bird flu.
