Milk Avian Flu: USDA Demands Testing for H5N1

Publicado el 10/12/2024 a las 13:00

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a federal order on Friday.

The order requires raw milk samples to be collected nationwide and tested for potential outbreaks of avian flu.

This directive comes a week after California authorities suspended the distribution of raw milk from Raw Farm.

Why? H5N1 avian flu was detected in several retail samples.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a case of avian flu in a child in California.

This is the first instance of infection in a minor recorded in the U.S.

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In response, the USDA requested that all raw milk producers nationwide collect samples to detect potential avian flu hotspots.

Additionally, the USDA urged industry partners and dairy product processors to share data when requested to quickly identify infected herds.

“This strategy will give farmers and agricultural workers greater confidence in the safety of their animals and their ability to protect themselves.”

This was stated by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in a press release.

“It will also put us on the path to quickly control and stop the spread of the virus across the country.”

The USDA also called on livestock owners to provide epidemiological information to facilitate avian flu tracking and surveillance.

“This new milk testing strategy will build on the steps taken to date,” Vilsack added.

“It will provide a roadmap for states to safeguard the health of their dairy herds.”

The first round of detection tests is set for the week of December 16.

There are currently 718 affected dairy farms across 15 states, with 58 human cases of infection reported, according to CDC data.