Colorado will require dairies to test their milk supplies for bird flu every week, state Department of Agriculture says announced Tuesday as concerns about bird flu remain high across the country.
State veterinarian Maggie Baldwin said Colorado “has not been able to contain the spread of the disease at this time” after about three months of bird flu infection in the state’s livestock populations.
“We have seen devastating impacts from this disease not only on our dairy industry, but also on our poultry industry,” she said in a statement. “With the strong support of the dairy and poultry industries, we feel this is the best next step to protect these vital industries in our state.”
Bird flu poses little risk to humans, but it devastated bird and cattle populations across the country last year. The current outbreak has infected 11 people after contact with infected animals.
More than 100 million poultry across the country are infected with the current strain of bird flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Around 168 dairy herds have also reported infections.
Colorado’s dairy surveillance program will help the state track and respond to cases of the disease in cattle. Milk from infected cattle is safe to consume as the milk pasteurization process kills any pathogens.
The testing requirement was triggered by the mass infection of the state’s chicken population. About 70% of Colorado’s chickens were culled due to bird flu infection.
“Mandatory surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza on all Grade A commercial dairy farms in Colorado is the critical next step to containing the virus and protecting the food system,” state Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg said in a statement.
Colorado has the highest number of reported bird flu cases in the country, the state said.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
