The US Department of Agriculture will begin testing raw milk from dairy silos around the nation in an effort to better track the H5N1 bird flu that has been spreading in dairy cattle since March.
The agency announced the expanded testing of the milk supply in a new federal order issued on Friday.
Infectious disease experts have called for expanded testing since the beginning of the outbreak, arguing that the virus can’t be contained until farms, vets and federal regulators know where it is spreading. Dairy farmers had initially resisted calls for more widespread testing, fearing a loss of income if their herds were quarantined.
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“Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release.
The new order requires the sharing of raw milk samples, upon request, from dairy farms, bulk milk shippers, milk transfer stations or dairy processing facilities that send or hold milk for pasteurization.
It also requires that herd owners with cattle that test positive for bird flu provide information that enables contact tracing and disease surveillance.
Lastly, it requires labs and vets that have positive test results for H5N1 to report them to the USDA.
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The first round of testing is scheduled to begin the week of Dec. 16, though some states have already started testing that complies with these requirements, the USDA noted.
Six states will be included in the first round of testing: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. While California, Colorado and Michigan are known to have had infected herds, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania have not reported any problems. The milk testing in those states will help authorities better understand whether bird flu is a threat in areas where the illness has so far gone undetected.
The USDA first announced the new National Milk Testing Strategy in October. Today’s order is the first time it has released the specific details of its plans.