Milk Safety Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just launched a federal order that says lactating cows must test negative for the bird flu before they are transported.
Alan Bjerga (Bier-ga) with the National Milk Producers Federation says testing is now required so better records will be kept …
BJERGA … “This is now going to be a reportable disease, which means if you go to your veterinarian or if it's interstate commerce and it's found that there's a positive case, you have to report it. It is now a requirement as far as animal safety inspections, and that makes it more official that this is what farmers need to do, and there can be penalties if they don't.”
Specifically, the cows will get tested for Influenza A viruses, which include the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza …
BJERGA … “Primarily, this has been an animal health issue, and cows are getting sick, they've been temporarily losing production, and then they come back online. That's different from what we've seen in poultry, where the mortality rates are very high in the birds, and in cattle, that doesn't seem to have the same effect. But at the same time, because of the nature of this illness and the fact that it appears to be spreading among dairy cattle instead of birds, there is the potential human health risk.
Tune in tomorrow for more on milk safety and why the new rules are necessary.
Alan Bjerga of the National Milk Producers Federation.
