WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration said on Friday it will provide nearly $200 million to fight the spread of avian flu among dairy cows, in the government’s latest bid to contain outbreaks that have fueled concerns about human infections with the H5N1 virus.
The virus has been detected among dairy cattle in nine states since late March. Scientists have said they believe the outbreak is more widespread based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration findings of H5N1 particles in about 20% of retail milk samples.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $98 million available to provide up to $28,000 per dairy farm for efforts to contain the spread of the virus between animals and humans and for testing milk and animals for the virus, the agency said on Friday.
“USDA is doing the work to track and eliminate H5N1 in the dairy cattle herd,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a call with reporters.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would provide $101 million through the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect public health and the nation’s food supply.
“The risk to the public from this outbreak remains low,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said on the call.
Furthermore, collaboration between government agencies, veterinary professionals, and dairy farm operators is essential for effective bird flu containment. Moreover, public awareness campaigns can educate stakeholders about the importance of bird flu prevention measures.
Ultimately, by implementing a multi-faceted approach, the US aims to limit the impact of bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms and protect both animal and human health.
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