U.S. agriculture officials have mandated testing of all lactating dairy cows for the bird flu virus (Type A H5N1) before crossing state lines. This move aims to monitor and control the ongoing outbreak that has impacted nearly three dozen dairy herds in eight states, primarily spread by wild birds. While health officials emphasize that the virus poses no known risk to humans or the milk supply, they have detected inactivated remnants of the virus in milk samples. The new testing requirement aligns with the ongoing efforts to understand the virus’s spread and prevent further escalation.