Feds Get Tougher On Bird Flu In Milk: What You Need To Know

Testing of the nation’s raw, or unpasteurized, milk supply for bird flu will be greatly expanded under a new federal order aimed at increasing officials’ understanding of the outbreak of H5N1 avian flu that since March has infected more than 830 dairy farms nationwide.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the national testing, which begins Monday in six states, is intended to provide dairy operators greater confidence in the safety of their herds and their ability to protect their workers and themselves from bird flu, and also give officials a better sense of where infected herds are located.

Almost 60 people have contracted the bird flu virus since the outbreak began. Most of those who have gotten sick are dairy or poultry farmworkers, but also child in California who consumed raw milk from a batch that tested positive for bird flu. Dairy cattle in 16 states have been infected, the majority of them in California.

Below are five things to know about bird flu in milk.

What Does The Federal Order Do?

The federal order requires farmers and dairy processors to provide raw milk samples if regulators request them. This requirement applies to any entity that handles bulk milk — from the farm where it’s produced through transportation to various facilities until it arrives at a processing plant for pasteurization.

Farm owners whose herds have been infected with bird flu must provide epidemiological information to help officials identify more cases in dairy herds and people who had contact with the contaminated milk or cows.

The new order does not change earlier requirements that private laboratories and state veterinarians report positive bird flu results in raw milk samples taken as part of the National Milk Testing Strategy.

Under earlier guidance farmers were encouraged but not required to submit raw milk samples for testing. But compliance was low, leaving regulatory agencies with insufficient data on how far bird flu has spread in dairy herds.

How Likely Are People To Get Bird Flu?

Bird flu isn’t spread easily to humans. The risk is low for the general public, but people who have contact with infected poultry and dairy animals, or handle their manure, are at a higher risk.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and some people may not know they have bird flu because they have no symptoms. Officials acknowledge they don’t know the full extent of human bird flu cases.

Knowing the extent and geographic spread of bird flu in humans is “a critical part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the USDA statement.

The expanded milk testing strategy is “long overdue,” Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, told The New York Times. An outspoken critic of the federal response to bird flu

“Bulk milk testing is the primary way we are identifying outbreaks on farms, which is critical for preventing severe disease for farmworkers who’ve been exposed,” Nuzzo said.

Is Raw Milk Safe To Drink?

Drinking creamy milk straight from the cow’s udder has become trendy among some health advocates convinced of its wholesomeness and even curative powers. Government health officials say that is a false narrative.

Claims that pasteurization robs milk of its nutrients, causes lactose intolerance or other allergic reactions, or is unnecessary because raw milk kills bacteria on its own are all false, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Even without the threat of bird flu, drinking raw milk is risky because it can carry other dangerous germs, including E. coli, listeria, campylobacter and others that cause foodborne illnesses, according to the FDA.

What About Cheese?

Both the FDA and USDA say pasteurized milk and dairy products, including cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream, are safe to eat because bacteria and viruses are killed in the pasteurization process.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned that some products made from raw milk, including some soft cheeses, yogurt and ice cream can be contaminated by germs, including the virus causing bird flu.

Cheeses that may be pasteurized or unpasteurized include brie, Camembert, feta and Gorgonzola.

Will A Vaccine Be Developed?

The federal government has two bird flu vaccine candidates in the nation’s stockpile, but the Biden administration said Wednesday a vaccine isn’t warranted because the virus isn’t spreading from human to human or causing severe illnesses, NBC News reported.

That means that any request to the FDA to authorize the use of vaccines to prevent bird flu in humans won’t happen until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. His pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic and anti-vaccine activist.