Breaking: A federal milk testing program is launching to track bird flu outbreak

Nearly nine months  after the outbreak in dairy cows was first detected, the USDA announced it will start to require farms to provide milk for testing when asked

Log In    Subscribe BREAKING NEWS   USDA launching mandatory national milk testing program to track H5N1 flu outbreak in cows By Helen Branswell Gerald Herbert/AP With the H5N1 bird flu virus racing through California dairy herds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is instituting a mandatory milk testing program to help inform the federal response to the outbreak.    As of Friday, the USDA had confirmed 720 herds in 15 states have had infected cows since the outbreak was first detected in March. The U.S. response to the outbreak has been widely criticized by influenza experts, who see the continued circulation of the virus in mammals — mammals with which humans come in regular contact — as playing with fire. READ MORE Sign up for our Morning Rounds newsletter Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day. Learn more. More on H5N1 bird flu Single mutation in H5N1 bird flu virus may make it more infectious to humans, study finds By Helen Branswell Scientists confront a mystery: Why have U.S. bird flu cases been so mild? By Helen Branswell Case of bird flu infection in British Columbia is still a mystery, for now By Helen Branswell Could cow vaccines help halt the spread of bird flu in U.S. herds? Experts are divided By Helen Branswell Don't miss out on another STAT Investigation Unlock the world of health and medicine with a subscription to STAT+ Learn more STAT, 1 Exchange Place, Boston, MA ©2024, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Newsletter Preferences • Contact Us • Advertise with Us