Health officials have called for a mandatory inspection of the country’s raw milk supply. Bird flu Fears.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Friday that raw milk companies that have not passed Bacteria killing measures called pasteurizationHe must collect and share samples of the products when requested.
The measure, called the National Dairy Testing Strategy, aims to identify which dairy herds are infected with H5N1 (bird). Flu) caused an outbreak among more than 700 herds in 15 states.
The disease has infected 58 Americans, he said. CDCThat is, those engaged in dairy farming and exposed to infected animals.
Arizona It reported the two latest infections in poultry workers on Friday.
Owners of dairy herds with cattle tested positive for bird flu are required to provide information to surveillance authorities.
Testing is set to begin December 16, and the initial rollout will include six states: California; Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon And Pennsylvania.
The announcement came after the bird flu virus was found in unpasteurized milk. California Asking food safety experts to come out last month Urgent ‘do not drink’ warning.
USDA requires raw milk companies to submit product samples when asked to identify dairy herds that may be spreading bird flu.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release: “Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and ranchers better confidence in animal safety and self-protection, and will put us on the path to quickly contain and stop the virus.” “It’s spread nationwide.”
Dairy products are not pasteurized, a process that removes pathogens by heating milk to a sufficient temperature.
While its sales were banned or restricted for decades due to health concerns, in recent years they have benefited from a growing demand for organic products, with at least 4.4 percent of Americans (about 11 million people) trying raw milk each year.
Raw milk naturally has a higher risk of foodborne illness, which helps avoid the high-temperature pasteurization process.
The FDA’s long-term use of raw milk is that it is considered a ‘high-risk food’ for these reasons.
However, the government agency said, ‘Based on the limited research and data available, we currently do not know whether (bird flu) can be transmitted to humans through raw milk and raw milk produced from infected cows.’
Similarly, the CDC warns that ‘past (raw) milk and products made from raw milk, including soft cheeses, ice cream, and yogurt, may be contaminated with germs that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death.’
Last month, health officials Bird flu has been found in California A lot of raw milk from local dairy farms.
Earlier this week, the California Department of Public Health recalled the farm’s raw milk and cream from store shelves. No cases of human bird flu have been linked to the products.
Symptoms in humans are still mild, often including pinkeye, coughing and sneezing.
