DATCP to begin testing milk for bird flu

MADISON, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA) – Mandatory milk testing is being set in motion by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) in an effort to identify avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, in cattle.

According to a DATCP news release, the new initiative, titled the National Milk Testing Strategy, is mandated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Wisconsin dairy farms are required to supply one milk sample monthly to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), where the milk will be tested. The samples will be primarily gathered through existing milk quality labs that work with Licensed Bulk Milk Weighers and Samplers.

The DATCP’s objective is to bolster surveillance of dairy cattle herds, allowing swift action should avian influenza (HPAI/H5N1) be identified.

The DATCP will provide updates on the initiative’s progress. For additional information, visit the DATCP website here.