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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new order on Friday to test milk for the H5N1 virus, known as avian flu. West Virginia Department of Agriculture Dairy Program Manager Rachel Shockey said the testing will include samples from West Virginia milk suppliers.
The first U.S. case of dairy cows with avian flu was recorded in March. There are currently no cases of the avian flu detected in West Virginia’s cattle.
The USDA did confirm a case in the state in February sampling a backyard flock of chicken in Kanawha County. Humans may contract the virus from contact with sick animals or unpasteurized milk.
However, the USDA testing will not cover milk not intended for pasteurization. Drinking raw milk involves a range of health risks, with recent federal guidelines adding exposure to avian flu to that list.
“That’s all at your own risk, you are taking it on yourself,” Shockey said.
The state legislature legalized selling raw milk in its last regular session. The law went into effect in June.
Shockey said that several farms in the state opted into a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distribution program for agricultural workers.
“Not every farm,” Shockey said. “It was a voluntary program, but we did have farms that participated in case there would ever be a problem on their farm.”
In April, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture issued a statement “urging farmers to enhance biosecurity practices on their farm.” The department advised dairy farmers detecting cattle with symptoms like “decreased lactation, low appetite, and other clinical signs” to call 304-558-2214.
The USDA also issued a federal order in April that mandated testing of dairy cattle before cows cross state lines.
Shockey said West Virginia officials will meet with USDA representatives about the new testing project next week.
