The National Milk Supply Must be Tested for Bird Flu Under New Federal Order
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new federal order on Friday to test the national milk supply for the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which is causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows. The goal is to quickly identify which dairy herds are affected by the virus and prevent its transmission among livestock. As of Thursday, 718 dairy herds have been affected.
According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the order will provide farmers and farmworkers with better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and put the country on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide.
The initial round of testing is set to begin on December 16, with entities handling raw milk, such as bulk milk transporters or dairy processors, required to collect and share samples with the USDA upon request. The hope is that this testing will help to contain the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of the national milk supply. This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.