On Friday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ordered that the nation’s milk supply undergo tests for H5N1, also known as “bird flu.”
According to the Washington Examiner, the decision follows an outbreak of the disease among dairy cattle back in March. Six states will begin conducting such tests on December 16th: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. There have already been reports of the disease in up to 718 dairy herds across the country, in 15 different states.
“This testing strategy is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide,” said outgoing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “Our primary responsibility at HHS is to protect public health and the safety of the food supply, and we continue to work closely with USDA and all stakeholders on continued testing for H5N1 in retail milk and dairy samples from across the country to ensure the safety of the commercial pasteurized milk supply. We will continue this work with USDA for as long and as far as necessary.”
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