USDA Mandates Nationwide Milk Testing for Bird Flu

The federal order aims to track and control the spread of H5N1 in dairy herds, with initial testing set to begin in six states on December 16.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a national milk testing program to detect H5N1 bird flu in raw, unpasteurized milk from dairy herds.
• The testing strategy includes five stages, starting with sampling at processing facilities and progressing to herd-level investigations and long-term monitoring in unaffected areas.
• California has been the hardest hit, with over 500 of the 700 infected herds nationwide, while human cases have reached 58, mostly in agricultural workers exposed to infected animals.
• Pasteurized milk remains safe for consumption, as the heat treatment eliminates the virus, but officials strongly advise against drinking raw milk due to potential contamination risks.
• Concerns over human-to-human transmission are low but ongoing, with experts warning about the potential for mutations that could increase the virus's transmissibility.

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