Raw milk samples nationwide will now be collected and shared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for bird flu testing under a federal order issued Friday.
The USDA’s order is a significant ramp up in testing to combat an outbreak that has infected more than 50 people and swept through hundreds of dairy herds. Prior to the announcement, the department focused testing efforts on interstate movement of cattle and in states where bird flu had been reported.
The order requires that raw milk samples from dairy farms, bulk milk transporters, and dairy processing facilities must be shared upon request with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Herd owners with cattle that test positive for avian influenza will need to share information with health officials that allows for contact tracing and disease surveillance, according to the order. Private laboratories and state veterinarians must also report any positive bird flu test results to the USDA.
The order marks the start of the agency’s National Milk Testing Strategy, a plan to expand testing first at the regional level, and then on individual farms as necessary until herds in an area are determined to be free of the virus. APHIS will begin nationwide testing of milk silos at U.S. dairy processing facilities to help identify potentially affected herds and where the disease is present.
“Since the first HPAI detection in livestock, USDA has collaborated with our federal, state, and industry partners to swiftly and diligently identify affected herds and respond accordingly,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “This new milk testing strategy will build on those steps to date and will provide a roadmap for states to protect the health of their dairy herds.”