The bird flu virus H5N1 is spreading in the United States, including among dairy cattle. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) financially supports dairy farmers with infected cows and has also set up a monitoring program.
The virus has spread worldwide among wild birds and is now causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows in America. A total of 67 dairy herds have tested positive, spread across nine states. In the case of poultry, this concerns more than 96 million chickens in 48 states, as reported yesterday.
The USDA announced a week ago that it would probably pay out 90% of the lost milk production per cow to dairy farmers. According to the American food authority FDA, the milk from cows infected with bird flu is safe to drink after it has been pasteurized. However, cows with bird flu produce less milk. USDA provides compensation for reduced milk production.
The US government had already allocated $1,3 billion to control the bird flu situation. Yesterday (May 30), the USDA announced an additional $824 million investment in, among other things, a program to monitor the health of dairy cattle and test for bird flu.
Bird flu in meat
Examination of muscle tissue samples from 109 condemned slaughtered dairy cows revealed contamination with the bird flu virus in one carcass in the US. This meat did not end up in the chain, the USDA emphasizes. Samples of ground beef from stores in states where dairy cattle infections have occurred all tested negative. Every animal is inspected before and after slaughter, the USDA reports, saying it is "confident that the meat supply is safe." Nevertheless, the department recommends that meat always be thoroughly fried. Research has also been done to determine the temperature at which hamburgers should be cooked to inactivate the follower flu virus. This already appears to be the case at 49 degrees Celsius.
Three dairy farmers infected
The American CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is also keeping a close eye on the situation in relation to public health. The current risk to humans is low. A total of four people in America have become infected with the virus, the first through poultry in 2022. This year, three dairy farmers are said to have been infected through dairy cows. No cases have been identified in which the virus has been passed from person to person.