The nationwide milk provide can be examined for chicken flu below a brand new federal order introduced late final week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Under the new guidance, uncooked, or unpasteurized, milk samples can be collected nationwide and shared with USDA for testing. The testing, in keeping with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, is meant to “present a roadmap for states to guard the well being of their dairy herds,” from the outbreaks of extremely pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, the pressure of chicken flu that’s behind outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry.
“Among many outcomes, it will give farmers and farmworkers higher confidence within the security of their animals and talent to guard themselves, and it’ll put us on a path to shortly controlling and stopping the virus’ unfold nationwide,” Vilsack stated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 718 dairy herds have been affected in 15 states. Several latest circumstances have been reported in individuals, all in dairy and poultry staff, however no human-to-human transmission has been discovered.
No circumstances have been reported in Alabama.
The testing covers uncooked milk samples from dairy farms, bulk milk transporters, bulk milk switch stations or dairy processing stations. If any cattle is discovered to be optimistic for chicken flu, the proprietor can be required to offer data for contract tracing and illness surveillance. All optimistic outcomes from milk samples should be reported to the USDA.
Previously, the USDA focused testing efforts only on interstate movement of cattle and in states the place chicken flu had been reported. The first spherical of testing will begin Dec. 16 and can begin with six states, California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
