USA | The ongoing spread of avian influenza poses a significant public health concern for the commercial milk industry. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged health authorities to monitor cow infections closely to combat this issue.
However, in contrast to this warning, the US FDA has maintained a different stance, asserting that the virus poses no threat to consumer health and that the impact on commercial milk production will be minimal.
In early April, the US's largest producer of fresh eggs halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was detected in chickens. It was reported that 3.6 percent of its flock was destroyed due to infection.
Avian influenza, also known as H5N1, has been found in at least 26 dairy herds across eight American states, marking the first time this specific strain of bird flu has been found in cattle.
So far, 21 states have restricted cattle importations from states where the virus is known to have affected dairy cows.
To combat this issue, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has recommended minimising cattle movement.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a dairy worker in Texas contracted avian influenza after being exposed to dairy cattle with the virus.
Although this poses a concern for workers within the cattle industry, the H5N1 virus has an extremely high mortality rate and has not been recorded as travelling from human to human.
US health officials have stated that the bird flu's risk to the public is low and that the country's food supply remains safe and stable. Farmers have been urged to test cows that show symptoms of infection and separate them from the herd so they can recover.
North American producers are prohibited from selling milk from sick cows, while milk sold across state lines must be pasteurised or heat-treated to kill viruses.
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