The US Department of Agriculture has issued a federal order requiring raw, unpasteurized milk samples to be shared nationwide with USDA to try
The requirement is part of a larger testing strategy between the USDA along with federal and state agencies following an outbreak of HPAIthe bird flu virus, in cattle earlier this year.
“Since the first detection of HPAI in cattle, USDA has worked with our federal, state and industry partners to quickly and diligently identify affected herds and respond accordingly,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. he said in a statement.
“This new milk testing strategy will build on these steps to date and provide a roadmap for states to protect the health of their dairy herds.”
The goal of the new National milk testing strategy is to help public health partners better understand the virus, how it spreads, and “quickly identify which states and specific herds are affected.”
The strategy also aims to help curb future cases while reducing the risk of infection to other animals should an outbreak occur.
The federal order has three requirements:
- Sharing raw milk samples from “any entity responsible for a dairy farm, bulk milk transporter, bulk milk transfer station, or dairy processing facility that ships or contains milk intended for pasteurization,” in the ‘U.S.D.
- Herd owners with infected cattle to provide contact tracing and disease surveillance information to USDA.
- Private laboratories and state veterinarians report positive test results of raw milk samples to the USDA.
The first round of testing will begin the week of December 16, although some states may have already begun testing.