America’s national milk production must be tested for the bird flu virus under a new federal order from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday.
The mandate comes as authorities try to tackle the rapid spread of bird flu, known as H5N1, among dairy herds. The infections have spread to more than 500 dairy herds in California, the top state for dairy production.
More than 700 dairy herds nationwide have been infected since March, according to the USDA.
Nearly 60 people have contracted the virus since April. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of these cases are workers on infected dairy farms. So far, symptoms have been mild and CDC officials say the current risk to the general public from bird flu is low.
While the potentially deadly virus is not known to spread easily among people, any untreated infection puts the virus at risk of becoming more contagious, researchers warn.
In particular, scientists at the Scripps Research Institute reported that this would last just a single mutation in the current bird flu virus to produce a version that can more easily attach to human cells.
The USDA’s new strategy to combat the virus includes testing bulk samples of raw milk from dairy processing facilities across the country.
“Among many results, this will give farmers and farmworkers greater confidence in their animals’ safety and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly control the spread of the virus across the country and to stop,” said Agriculture Minister Tom. Vilsack, said Friday in a press release.
Farmers, dairy processors and other entities that process raw milk will be required to provide samples of unpasteurized milk upon government request. Dairy farm owners with infected herds will also be mandated to provide details that could help officials identify more potential cases and those who have come into contact with the virus.
The new rules on testing came after many experts, including some from the World Health Organization, criticized the apparent lack of testing on both livestock and humans. Previously, government guidelines on how to deal with the outbreak were voluntary.