US detects bird flu in milk but ensures dairy supply is safe

Milk samples were collected from Sick cows in Kansas and Texas they tested positive Avian InfluenzaBut the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that the U.S. milk supply is safe.

Testing in milk and dairy cows has shown The virus spreads widelyknown as avian influenza, has been detected in poultry and mammalian populations around the world.

The USDA, along with the FDA and CDC, are investigating whether cows in Kansas, Texas and New Mexico are exhibiting the following symptoms: Reduced milk production and loss of appetite

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

so far, “Clinical samples of unpasteurized milk” Viruses collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas 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 passed it to livestock, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The agency said tests showed the risk of infection in humans was low.

Milk from sick cows diverted or destroyed, according to government so it doesn’t enter the food supply. The USDA says milk entering interstate commerce needs to be pasteurized, a process that kills bacteria and viruses such as influenza.

“At this time, there are no concerns about the safety of the commercial milk supply or why this situation poses a health risk 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.