“It was important for us to get these four states up and running so that other states could see how the program is working and gain additional confidence,” said Eric Deeble, acting senior advisor for the H5N1 response at USDA
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Forced testing of dairy farm workers in the USA? Avian flu in milk and meat
Routine milk sampling
According to the USDA, farmers who voluntarily join the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk or similar representative samples test negative for the H5N1 virus for three consecutive weeks.
“Producers must also adhere to ongoing, regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but this process can occur with very little effort on the part of the producer using routine samples of bulk milk,” Deeble said in his remarks.
To date, 20 herds are registered in USDA financial support programs. Deeble emphasized that this number is growing.
In turn, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is expanding testing for H5N1 to cover a wider range of dairy products. According to Don Prater, DVM and acting director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, the products will include raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream.
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The fight for biosecurity
USDA has authorized additional epidemiological teams to assist affected poultry and dairy farms in Iowa. USDA is conducting interviews, looking for links between cases and trying to better understand how the virus may have been introduced into herds, according to Secretary of State for Agriculture Mike Naig. The investigations are ongoing and are expected to result in specific biosecurity recommendations that could help farmers and producers better protect livestock in the future.
