SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont agriculture officials are ramping up plans to test milk following a nationwide mandate from the USDA over concerns about the spread of bird flu.
After the highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in dairy cattle for the first time ever earlier this year, The USDA last week ordered raw or unpasteurized milk nationwide must be tested on request starting Monday.
“Their ultimate goal is to identify where the virus is, to mitigate spread, and their ultimate goal is to eradicate the strain impacting dairy cattle,” said the Vermont Agency of Agricltures’s E.B. Flory.
While no cases have been recorded in Vermont or New England, officials say they are expanding on the USDA rule and will begin testing samples directly from every dairy farm. The federal government will be covering the costs.
“We’re grateful as an agency that USDA approved our proposal that is at a higher rate of testing than the minimum to allow us to be able to provide this service not at the cost to Vermont taxpayers,” Flory said.
The FDA found that pasteurization is overwhelmingly effective in killing the virus, which means that any milk that may have been contaminated is still safe to drink.
“This influenza virus that is infecting cattle makes them ill the same way that a lot of flu viruses make us ill. They get fever, they get lethargic. What’s unique to cattle is they are decreasing how much milk they produce,” said Agency of Agricltures’s Dr. Kaitlynn Levine.
If cases are found here, state ag officials will work with the farm until the cows have cleared the virus and ensure it does not spread to neighboring farms. “What we don’t want to happen in Vermont — and what the federal government doesn’t want to happen — is that this virus continues to spread and that it mutates and becomes something that can contract and spread to each other,” Flory said.
The USDA will determine how long the testing needs to go on but states will need to demonstrate an ongoing absence of cases in their dairy herds.
Testing in Vermont is expected to begin next week with all dairy farms eventually being tested at least once a month.