The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HAI) in unpasteurized milk samples from dairy farms in Kansas and Texas. This discovery comes after the alarming discovery of deceased wild birds in the vicinity of these farms, raising concerns about potential transmission of the virus to livestock.
The USDA, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state veterinary and public health officials, are currently investigating an illness affecting primarily older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. This illness is characterized by decreased lactation, low appetite, and other symptoms.
As of Monday, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, along with an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for HAI.
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Initial investigations suggest that the virus may have been introduced by wild birds, particularly in Texas.
Despite these findings, federal authorities have assured the public that there is currently no significant risk to consumer health or the commercial milk supply. Dairies are mandated to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption. Milk from affected animals is being diverted or destroyed to prevent its entry into the food supply.
Pasteurization, a process required for all milk entering interstate commerce, has been proven effective in inactivating bacteria and viruses like influenza. The USDA emphasizes that there is no evidence to suggest that the current strain of HAI poses an increased risk to humans.
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