Department of Agriculture tests beef for bird flu virus

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is testing beef for the bird flu virus following cattle infections in several states, although it says it remains confident the country’s meat supply is safe.

The agency is conducting three studies related to avian influenza in dairy cattle, one in which they sample ground beef at retail locations, another in which they sample muscle meat from slaughtered cows, and a third in which they use a virus substitute in the ground beef and cook at varying temperatures.

The USDA said it has “a rigorous meat inspection process” and “multiple safeguards in place to protect consumers” in a statement released Monday.

“We recommend that consumers properly handle raw meats and cook them to a safe internal temperature,” the agency added.

A Texas man recently contracted bird flu as it spreads among cows in several states, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), although his symptoms were not severe.

The recent cow infections occurred in states including Texas, Kansas, Idaho, New Mexico and Michigan, and are the first time the virus has been found in cattle in the U.S., according to the agency.

“This infection does not change the human health risk assessment of H5N1 avian influenza for the general U.S. public, which CDC considers low,” the CDC said in a statement earlier this month.

The agency also said that “people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection.”

In an emailed statement, Sarah Little, spokeswoman for the Meat Institute, a meat industry trade association, said “USDA’s additional testing is appropriate to ensure the protection of public health and prevent the spread of animal diseases ”.