U.S. detects bird flu in milk, says dairy supplies safe Reuters

Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, March 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday that milk samples collected from sick cows in Kansas and Texas tested positive for bird flu, but that the U.S. milk supply is safe.

Testing in milk and dairy cows shows that the virus, known as avian influenza, is widespread and has been detected in poultry and mammals around the world.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate dairy cows in Kansas, Texas and New Mexico that showed symptoms including reduced milk production and loss of appetite.

So far, “clinical samples of unpasteurized milk” collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the government. A swab analysis of cattle from another Texas dairy farm also came back positive.

Based on the Texas results, wild birds that spread the virus around the world appear to have transmitted the virus to livestock, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The agency said tests showed the risk of infection in humans was low.

According to the government, milk from sick cows is diverted or destroyed to prevent it from entering the food supply. The USDA says milk entering interstate commerce needs to be pasteurized, a process that kills bacteria and viruses such as influenza.

“There are currently no concerns about the safety of commercial milk supplies or the health risks to consumers,” the agency said. There would be no impact on the price of milk or other dairy products, he added.

U.S. dairy industry groups urge importers not to ban or restrict shipments of U.S. dairy products because of these tests.

Importers have restricted purchases of U.S. poultry since 2022, when the worst bird flu outbreak in U.S. history broke out among chicken and turkey flocks.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Sofia Díaz Pineda in Spanish)