Pennsylvania mandates ‘precautionary’ testing of dairy farm milk for avian influenza

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An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has hit U.S. poultry farms hard for nearly three years, and now some dairy cattle are becoming infected.

While there have been no reported cases of avian flu in Pennsylvania cattle to date, the state Department of Agriculture is taking a precautionary measure and will require bulk testing of dairy farm milk beginning Tuesday.

State officials say the mandate is meant to quickly identify any early cases of bird flu in cattle and prevent the spread of the virus to other local herds and poultry farms.

The virus is not usually deadly to cows as it is for birds, but it does make them sick and can significantly reduce milk production.

“By detecting it sooner, you can get a biosecurity plan in place, you can make sure you’re not spreading it to other farms and you can also gear up to treat the cows who do get sick from the virus,” said Jayne Sebright, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence.

Dairy is one of the largest sectors in Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry with the production of more than 10.2 billion pounds of milk per year, according to state data.

Under the new testing mandate, milk samples will be taken from tanker trucks that collect and transport milk from local dairy farms to larger processing plants for pasteurization.

The milk samples will then be sent to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System.

If samples test positive for the virus, “it will trigger further investigation to identify the source” and “special quarantine measures will be established to contain and eliminate the virus at the source,” state officials said in a press release.

“We’ve seen in other states that the virus shows up in milk before cows show clinical signs of illness,” State Veterinarian Alex Hamberg said in a statement. “Rigorous biosecurity, including disinfecting [farmworkers’] boots, equipment, vehicles and using footbaths at barn entryways is critical.”

Most of the testing responsibilities will be carried out by tank shippers or processing plant companies. What individual dairy farmers can do, Sebright said, is to have a plan in place should their milk ever test positive for avian flu.

“They would have to demonstrate that they have a strong biosecurity plan in place to show how they are going to limit the spread,” Sebright said. “And they would have to have that to get a permit to continue to move milk [to production].”

Milk that comes from infected cattle is safe to drink and consume after it’s been pasteurized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In efforts to prevent avian flu from infecting Pennsylvania cattle, the state also issued a quarantine order in April that requires dairy cattle to be tested when entering the state from elsewhere, especially areas with confirmed cases.