ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 6, 2024
The U.S. government on Friday ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. Raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16, the Agriculture Department said. Officials said the move is aimed at “containing and ultimately eliminating the virus,” known as Type A H5N1, which was detected for the first time in March in U.S. dairy cows. Since then, more than 700 herds have been confirmed to be infected in 15 states. [Editor: In 2022, the Maine Department of Agriculture confirmed hundreds of cases of avian flu in poultry, and scientists blamed avian flu for the deaths of more than 300 seals in Maine. In 2023, the virus was confirmed in both wild ducks and domesticated chickens.]