BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The country is on high alert for bird flu, and now Vermont is playing its part.
Cases of the bird flu have been found in 16 states. There haven’t been any in Vermont cows yet, but the Agency of Agriculture is making sure we know if that changes.
It’s part of a federal mandate from the USDA to perform bulk milk testing to catch any unknown infected dairy cows, eradicate the virus, and keep it from mutating.
The state started sampling on Thursday. Every farm producing Grade A dairy – that means milk approved for sale over state lines will be tested monthly.
The state samples raw milk which can carry the virus. The Food and Drug Administration says if you drink pasteurized, dairy there is no chance of contracting avian flu.
If the pathogen is found, the state will work with farms to prevent the spread of the disease and care for affected cows.
As we have reported, Vermont had cases of avian flu in birds as recently as last month.