Due to the detection of bird flu fragments in pasteurized milk samples, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a federal order mandating testing of all dairy cows transported across state lines. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting a nationwide survey to pinpoint the source of the contaminated milk and will release the findings shortly.
Farmers were initially instructed to discard milk from sick cows and test symptomatic ones to safeguard the milk supply. However, the virus’s discovery in the commercial milk supply indicates that these measures were inadequate. The new mandate’s effectiveness in curbing the spread of the H5N1 strain of bird flu among the nation’s cattle remains uncertain.
The virus has already been detected in dairy cows in eight states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio, and Texas. Scientists are grappling with the extent and duration of the outbreak, raising concerns about its potential spread.
While H5N1 can be particularly harmful to humans, public health officials emphasize that the strain has not caused an uptick in human illnesses or posed an immediate threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not observed any unusual influenza-related emergency department visits, even in areas where H5N1 has spread among cattle.
Currently, one dairy worker in Texas has been infected with the virus, experiencing mild symptoms of conjunctivitis. The CDC is actively monitoring 44 additional individuals for potential illness.
In addition to the testing requirement, Wednesday’s order mandates state veterinary labs to report positive test results to federal health authorities. Cows testing positive will face a 30-day waiting period before being permitted to move and will require retesting.
The concern regarding milk consumption and bird flu stems from the mandatory pasteurization process, which heats milk to eliminate bacteria and viruses. The FDA has not yet completed studies specifically assessing whether pasteurization can eliminate the bird flu virus. However, the agency maintains that the commercial milk supply remains safe and will release the results of pasteurization efficacy studies in the coming days or weeks.
