The USDA has issued a new federal order requiring the collection and testing of raw milk samples nationwide to monitor the spread of bird flu.
Under this order, dairy farms, milk transporters, and processing facilities must provide raw milk samples upon request. Additionally, herd owners with bird flu-positive cattle must assist with contact tracing, and laboratories and veterinarians must report positive results to the USDA.
This decision follows the detection of bird flu in raw milk from a California farm, leading to a product recall and quarantine.
The USDA has launched the National Milk Testing Strategy to enhance milk supply surveillance, understand the virus’s spread, and protect dairy herds. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the program’s importance in controlling the outbreak.
Although inactive bird flu fragments have been found in pasteurized milk, the USDA warns against consuming raw milk due to health risks.
The CDC has classified raw milk exposure as high-risk for bird flu and continues monitoring the outbreak, which has resulted in 58 human cases across seven states, mostly linked to direct contact with infected animals.
