The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been testing for avian flu in beef and dairy products since the finding of the pathogen in the lung tissue of a dairy cow.  The meat from the infected cow, meanwhile, did not enter the market. 

It is currently indeterminate whether the virus affects only dairy cows or even beef breeds. Hence, USDA has been testing ground beef at retail outlets across the U.S. This at a time when beef cattle prices are up by 5% owing to a decreasing herd.

By April 29, nine states including Colorado had reported traces of the bird flu virus in cow milk.

USDA has however found that pasteurization kills the virus in milk, per the results of a gold-standard PCR test.

Federal agents have been using this same test on retail beef, but by April 29 there had been no beef-related cases.

Milk Supply Safe

On April 26, 2024, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) published avian flu findings indicating that the milk chain was safe.

FDA tested 297 retail dairy products from 38 states with the egg inoculation method and all showed that pasteurization killed the virus.

The agency warns all the same that further tests are necessary to determine if pathogens remain after pasteurizing milk.

Can Drinking Pasteurized Milk Cause Infection?

There is no evidence currently that consuming pasteurized  milk from infected cows can cause deadly infection in humans. 

According to FDA, HFN1 virus may not get people sick as it is only “highly infectious” in animals, not humans. Though there have been some cases in the past of people contracting the virus, these infections have been mild.

Besides, all milk from reporting states is not entering the food chain and that from nearby states is undergoing sterilization.

Possibility of Avian flu on Beef

Other than milk, USDA and FDA have lately been inspecting ground beef from mainly dairy cows to determine possible infections. By April 28, 2024, no cases had come out, which implies ground beef is safe.

According to Sarah Little of the Meat Institute,  the federal departments are doing “additional testing” to protect public health.

One such additional test is cooking HFN1 surrogate with ground beef and then inspecting the meat at diverse temperatures.

Ultimately, USDA is practically fighting avian flu in beef and dairy by ordering tests on cows’ milk before any inter-state sale. The U.S also expects a bird flu vaccine for the current strain by summer 2025, per a February 2024 report.