The U.S. Department of Agriculture will test raw milk from dairy farms across the country in an effort to better track the H5N1 bird flu that has been circulating among dairy animals since March.
The agency announced the expanded testing of milk supplies in a new federal order, CNN reported.
Infectious disease experts have been calling for expanded testing since the beginning of the outbreak, arguing that the virus cannot be contained until farms, veterinarians and federal regulators understand where it is spreading. Dairy farmers initially resisted calls for more widespread testing, fearing loss of revenue if their herds were quarantined.
“Along with the many results, this will give farmers and farmworkers greater confidence in the safety of their animals and their ability to protect themselves. This will put us on a path to rapidly controlling and halting the spread of the virus across the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The new order requires sharing raw milk samples upon request from dairy farms, bulk milk carriers, milk transfer stations or dairy plants that ship or hold milk for pasteurization.
It also requires owners of cattle herds that have tested positive for bird flu to provide information that allows for contact tracing and disease surveillance.
Finally, the order requires laboratories and veterinarians who test positive for H5N1 to report them. | BGNES
