SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new federal order Friday requiring raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be tested for the bird flu after recent outbreaks.
The change comes months after the H5N1 avian influenza was detected in cattle.
Officials say this required testing will help them learn more about the virus’ spread, identify which states are impacted and what specific herds are infected.
“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,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement.
The move follows an April 24 federal order that mandated testing of certain dairy cattle before they could move between states and required reporting of any positive tests. Despite that order, the virus has continued to spread, Poulsen noted.
The H5N1 virus started in birds and rapidly spread to cattle and other livestock. A total of 58 people have also been infected with the virus in varying states of severity in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania will be among the first states brought into mandatory testing after recent outbreaks.
Millions of birds and hundreds of cattle have been infected with the virus across 49 states, according to the CDC.
Federal officials continue to warn against drinking raw milk, which can contain a host of germs that make people sick. In California, officials quarantined a farm and halted distribution of milk after bird flu virus was detected in raw milk sold in stores. Raw Farm of Fresno issued a voluntary recall of raw milk and cream produced after Nov. 9.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who President-elect Donald Trump has picked to be the nation's next top health official, vowed to allow wider distribution of raw milk. Kennedy has criticized agriculture departments for cracking down on raw milk and promised that the Food and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of unpasteurized milk would end under the new administration.
