The USDA now is requiring the national milk supply to be tested for the virus.
The national milk supply must be tested for bird flu under a federal order announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Entities handling raw milk, such as bulk milk transporters or dairy processors, must collect and share samples with the USDA upon request, reported NBC News.
The influenza virus has been “raising alarm” since it was detected in a Texas cow back in March, wrote NPR. “Since then, the virus has spread to over 710 dairy herds across 15 states, with California reporting the highest number of infections. At least 58 people have been infected with bird flu, including one child living in the San Francisco Bay area.”
According to NPR, the federal order will allow regulators to test samples from dairy farms or when milk is being transported or processed. Private labs will also be required to report any positive cases. The testing program is launching first in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
USDA said Friday that the purpose of the federal order is to “identify where the disease is present, monitor trends and help states identify potentially affected herds.”
In addition to the testing mandate, the order requires dairy herd owners with cattle that test positive for bird flu to provide information that can help with surveillance, wrote NBC.
The USDA previously issued a federal order in April that required lactating dairy cows to be tested for bird flu before being shipped across state lines and required private labs and state veterinarians to report positive cases based on those tests. Those requirements remain in place under the new order as well, per NBC.
As of December 6, the CDC has confirmed that the vast majority of people infected with bird flu were exposed to infected cattle or poultry.
Symptoms so far “have been mild, and often include pinkeye, coughs or sneezes. However, the CDC reported last month that some cases may be asymptomatic, so the agency recommends that anyone who has been exposed to bird flu get tested,” wrote NBC.
NACS is hosting the Food Safety Forum on April 8, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. The Food Safety Forum is developed and administered by convenience industry food safety, foodservice, quality assurance, and risk management leaders. This is the only retail-focused event of its kind for the global convenience community.
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