The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made an official order to start testing all samples of raw milk as bird flu continues to impact farms across the country.
The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, began in March of this year, and after recent issues with raw milk in California, this order will hopefully prevent more cases of infection. The USDA is working to identify which herds are responsible for the spread of the virus, and this new National Milk Testing Strategy is designed to do just that.
“Since the first HPAI detection in livestock, USDA has collaborated with our federal, state and industry partners to swiftly and diligently identify affected herds and respond accordingly. This new milk testing strategy will build on those steps to date and will provide a roadmap for states to protect the health of their dairy herds,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide.”
What does the order entail?
The USDA’s order includes three primary requirements for all raw milk samples:
Raw milk samples must be submitted to the USDA from any entity responsible for a dairy farm, bulk milk transporter, bulk milk transfer station, or dairy processing facility that sends or holds milk intended for pasteurization.
Farmers who have animals that have become infected with bird flu must provide any and all epidemiological information to allow government agencies to conduct contract tracing and disease surveillance.
Private labs and vets must report any positive tests that come from raw milk samples to the USDA.
“This testing strategy is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“Our primary responsibility at HHS is to protect public health and the safety of the food supply, and we continue to work closely with USDA and all stakeholders on continued testing for H5N1 in retail milk and dairy samples from across the country to ensure the safety of the commercial pasteurized milk supply. We will continue this work with USDA for as long and as far as necessary.”
Current orders from the USDA require all dairy cows moving across state lines to be tested for infection. This mandate will remain in effect as this new order also goes into effect.
The USDA plans to start implementing this new order the week of December 16 in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.