US issues order mandating bird flu testing of milk supply

Washington | The US issued a federal order on Friday (Saturday AEDT) mandating that the national milk supply be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to grapple with the rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds.

Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds in top milk state California, and more than 700 nationwide since March, according to the US Department of Agriculture, raising concerns about the impact on farmers and milk supply as well as the risk to human health from ongoing spread.

Reuters