The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans to test ground beef for bird flu particles as a precautionary measure, despite officials expressing confidence in the safety of the nation's meat supply. This decision comes in light of recent findings of bird flu in nearly three-dozen dairy herds across nine states. The USDA aims to better understand the spread of the virus among livestock through these testing efforts.
Two studies will be conducted to determine the presence of Type A H5N1 bird flu virus particles in beef available for sale in states where infected dairy cows have been identified, as well as in the muscles of dairy cows sent for slaughter. Additionally, a third study will investigate how different cooking temperatures affect the virus using a surrogate for bird flu.
Recent reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed the discovery of non-infectious remnants of the bird flu virus in pasteurized milk. Experts have assured the public that these particles are inactive and do not pose a threat to consumers. Scientists emphasize that there is no evidence to suggest that consuming properly cooked or pasteurized food can transmit bird flu to humans.
The initial detection of the virus in dairy cows earlier this year led to further investigations, with H5N1 being found in the lung tissue of a dairy cow that was culled and sent for slaughter. Despite these developments, health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not observed any indications that the virus is evolving to become more transmissible to humans. To date, only two farmworkers have been reported to have contracted bird flu since the outbreak began.
