Fox News senior correspondent Jonathan Seery talks to medical and agricultural experts about lactose and testing dairy cattle for bird flu.
United States issued federal order Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters on Friday it was mandating that the national milk supply be tested for bird flu, as officials seek to deal with the rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds.
Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds Top Milk State CaliforniaAnd more than 700 across the country since March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, raising concerns about the impact on farmers and milk supplies as well as the risks to human health from the ongoing spread.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 60 people have contracted the virus since April, most of whom are workers at infected poultry and dairy farms. Symptoms are 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 pressure from industry and veterinary groups for stronger surveillance of the virus, but did not detail the extent of the program or how it would be implemented.
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The testing plan, which will involve monthly or weekly sample collection from bulk milk tanks and dairy processors, will first be rolled out in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Oregon, Vilsack said.
The latter three states have not reported bird flu infections in dairy cattle.
“It gives us an opportunity to get information about potentially new viruses in areas of the state where the virus is currently present, or in new states,” Vilsack said of the testing.
The agency will begin testing Dec. 16, Vilsack said.
FILE PHOTO: This illustration taken June 10, 2024 shows “Bird Flu” written in front of a US flag on a test tube. (Reuters/Dado Ruvik/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters Photo)
The pace of testing will depend on whether the virus is detected in initial samples, said Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s chief veterinarian.
The order requires farms and processors to provide raw milk for sampling, and requires farm owners whose animals test positive for the virus to report the animals’ movements and other information to the agency.
The USDA currently requires testing only of milking dairy cattle moving across state borders, a requirement set forth in its only other federal bird flu order 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.
California this week has recalled milk and cream products made by raw milk company Raw Farms after bird flu was found in its retail products and bulk milk.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends not consuming raw milk because it may contain pathogens, including bird flu, but says pasteurized dairy products are safe because the pasteurization process kills those pathogens.
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There are about 1,100 dairies in the state, according to California Milk Advisory BoardThat means almost half the people have been infected with bird flu.
