US mandates bird flu testing for milk supply amid outbreak – National

The United States issued a federal order on Friday requiring testing of the nation’s milk supply bird fluAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters as authorities try to grapple with the rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds.

Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds in the dairy state of California, and more than 700 nationwide since March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, raising concerns about the impact on to farmers and the milk supply, as well as the risk to human health. of the ongoing spread.

Nearly 60 people have contracted the virus since April, mostly workers at infected poultry and dairy farms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms have been mild, and CDC officials have said the risk to the general public from bird flu is low.

The USDA first announced it would begin national milk testing in October after industry and veterinary groups pushed for stronger surveillance of the virus, but had not detailed the scope of the program or how it would be implemented.

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The testing plan, which will involve monthly or weekly sampling from bulk milk depots and dairy processors, will be launched first in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Oregon, Vilsack said.

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The last three states have reported no bird flu infections in dairy cattle.

“It gives us an opportunity to potentially warn of a potentially new virus in areas of a state that currently have the virus or new states,” Vilsack said of the tests.

The agency will begin testing Dec. 16, Vilsack said.

The pace of testing will depend on whether the virus is detected in the initial sampling, said Rosemary Sifford, the USDA’s chief veterinarian.

The order requires farms and processors to make raw milk available for sampling, and farm owners whose animals test positive for the virus to report animal movements and other information to the agency .

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USDA currently only requires testing of lactating dairy cattle moving across state lines, a requirement set forth in its only other federal avian flu order issued in April.

Both federal orders will remain in place indefinitely, Vilsack said, adding that the testing plan was developed with industry groups, state officials and veterinarians.

California this week issued a recall of milk and cream products made by the raw milk company Raw Farm after bird flu was detected in its retail products and bulk milk.

The Food and Drug Administration advises against consuming raw milk because it may contain pathogens, including bird flu, but says pasteurized dairy products are safe because the pasteurization process kills these pathogens.

The state has about 1,100 dairies, according to the California Dairy Advisory Council, which means nearly half have been infected with bird flu.