US Authorities Ensures Safety Of Commercial Milk Supply As Dairy Cows In Texas And Kansas Tested Positive For Bird Flu

The US authorities ensure the safety of commercial milk supply as some dairy cattle tested positive for avian influenza or bird flu in Texas and Kansas.

The US Department of Agriculture confirmed that two dairy herds in Texas and two in Kansas had tested positive for avian flu. It is believed to be the first time bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, has been detected in livestock in the United States.

The cows appear to have been infected by wild birds, with dead birds discovered on several farms, according to the agency. The findings were released after several federal and state organizations began examining allegations of sick cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico.

It comes a week after Minnesota officials disclosed that goats on a farm where poultry had been infected with bird flu had tested positive for the virus.

The commercial milk supply is safe, and the risk to consumers is low, according to the agency.

Dairies are supposed to only allow milk from healthy cows into the food supply, while milk from unwell animals is redirected or destroyed. Pasteurization also destroys viruses and other bacteria, and it is needed for milk sold in interstate commerce, the USDA added.

"At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health," the agency said.

Dairy farmers in Texas become concerned three weeks ago when cattle began falling ill with what officials described as "mystery dairy cow disease," according to Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

Milk production plummeted, and the cows were lethargic and ate little.

Flu samples from sick cows have not contained genetic alterations known to increase the virus's likelihood of infecting humans, according to the agriculture agency, which also stated that the risk to the general population remains minimal.

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Recovery Of Livestocks

Experts believed that livestock appear to recover naturally within seven to ten days.

This is in contrast to bird flu outbreaks in poultry, which require the slaughter of entire flocks to eradicate the virus. Since 2022, outbreaks have resulted in the loss of around 80 million birds from commercial flocks in the United States.

So far, the virus appears to be infecting around 10% of lactating dairy cows in afflicted herds, according to Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and biosecurity expert at the University of California-Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.

Officials described it as a quickly changing situation. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are participating, as are officials from all three states.

Iowa, another dairy-heavy state, has stated that it is monitoring the situation.

Dairy industry executives stated that producers have begun increased biosecurity procedures on U.S. farms, such as limiting traffic into and out of premises and restricting visits to employees and key individuals.

Payne highlighted that bird flu had already been detected in 48 different mammal species, and that it was likely just a matter of time before avian influenza spread to ruminants.

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