Diving overview:
Beef tissue from sick cows sent to slaughter tested positive for avian influenza. The Department of Agriculture said Friday: The virus was first identified as part of a USDA food safety study.
Muscle and tissue samples were taken from one of 96 dairy cows culled due to illness at a federally inspected slaughterhouse. Samples from the remaining cattle tested negative for the virus, and none of the beef entered the U.S. food supply.
The USDA agency is working to trace back contaminated meat to prevent it from entering the food chain as more cases of bird flu emerge, including a large outbreak at an Iowa egg farm that killed 4.2 million birds.
Dive Insights:
The USDA emphasized that the risk to consumers remains low and that the food safety measures taken so far “provide further confidence that the food safety systems we have in place are working properly.”
However, positive tests have come as more cases have been reported from poultry and dairy establishments. At least 67 dairy cows were confirmed to be infected with the virus, 15 of them. Cases reported last week.
iowa presentation A poultry farm in Sioux County has experienced the state's largest bird flu outbreak in two years. Crews are in the process of culling 4.2 million birds to contain the virus, Agriculture Dive officials confirmed.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it on Tuesday. emergency disaster declaration This will allow the state to reallocate resources for virus monitoring and containment as well as disposal and disinfection efforts.
The United States has recently stepped up its response to the virus. invest 200 million dollars Invests in testing, research, supplies and incentives to curb avian influenza in commercial poultry and cattle, including funding for dairy farmers to develop biosecurity plans to keep workers and animals safe.
that much Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As more avian flu information is collected, we're asking state health officials to work with agricultural partners to make face masks and other protective equipment available to livestock operators. Health authorities recently We have issued protection guidelines It is intended for poultry and livestock farmers and workers, including slaughterhouse staff responsible for dairy cattle.
Dairy cows account for nearly 7% of total U.S. beef production, according to the Meat Institute. A previous USDA study injecting ground meat with avian influenza found that the virus was inactivated during the cooking process.
Outside the United States, Australia has recently First human case of bird flu Two poultry farms in Victoria have identified different variants of the virus in one child. The United States, Europe, and other countries have taken steps to secure preventive vaccines for at-risk farm workers, veterinarians, and laboratory technicians. Reuters reported.
