The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its testing of dairy products for the bird flu virus, responding to outbreaks affecting over 120 dairy herds in 12 states since March, as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal officials caution that further spread among dairy cows could heighten the risk of human infections.
While federal officials maintain that the risk to the general public from bird flu remains low, they emphasize increased risk for dairy farm workers. Workers are advised to wear personal protective equipment to minimize infection risk.
Don Prater, acting director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, explained during a press call that the additional testing, covering 155 products, aims to ensure that pasteurization effectively deactivates the virus. Previous FDA tests on 297 retail dairy samples yielded negative results for the virus.
Prater reiterated the FDA's strong recommendation against consuming raw milk products. USDA's acting senior adviser for bird flu response, Eric Deeble, confirmed that no infected dairy cow herds are currently contributing to the raw milk supply.
Regarding human health impacts, Demetre Daskalakis, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, reported that over 690 people exposed to infected or potentially infected animals have been monitored for flu symptoms. Among 51 symptomatic individuals tested, three dairy farm workers showed mild respiratory or conjunctivitis symptoms from the virus but have since recovered.
Daskalakis highlighted CDC support for Michigan's serological testing of farm workers to detect past virus exposure and plans to extend similar testing to other states.
Deeble noted ongoing research on how dairy cattle contract the virus, particularly through contact with infected milk or respiratory droplets. He emphasized the USDA's commitment to virus eradication in dairy cattle without immediate reliance on a vaccine, acknowledging the lengthy process expected for developing a specific bird flu vaccine for cattle.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack disclosed ongoing discussions with two dozen companies aimed at developing a bird flu vaccine for cattle, underscoring proactive steps to address the current outbreaks and future prevention strategies.
