As Bird Flu Endangers Dairy & Poultry Industries, Colorado Implements Madatory Testing For Milk Supply

In an effort to curb the spread of bird flu, Colorado has implemented a new mandate that requires dairies to test their milk supplies for the virus on a weekly basis.

This decision comes as the state faces an outbreak on the rise that has affected both dairy cows and chickens and wiped out 3.1 million egg-laying chickens in Colorado in recent weeks. According to U.S. data, approximately 70% of the state’s laying hens were eliminated.

The outbreak in Colorado has been particularly severe, and the state has confirmed infections in 47 dairy herds since the initial U.S. outbreak in cows began in late March. Notably, around 60% of these cases have been detected in the past month alone. Nationally, 13 states have reported infections in approximately 168 herds since the spring.

In response to the situation, the state veterinarian, Maggie Baldwin, explained that the previous strategy was deemed ineffective and prompted the implementation of the new mandatory testing requirement for licensed dairies with lactating cows. The goal is to identify additional farms that may be infected, preventing the further spread of the disease to other dairies or poultry flocks, as well as humans.

Since late April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also taken action and mandated testing for lactating cows being shipped across state lines. Additionally, the USDA has launched a voluntary program to test bulk milk supplies.

The USDA has dispatched an epidemiological “strike team” to Colorado to assess how the virus spreads among the state’s dairies, as the virus can be transmitted through workers or vehicles that move between farms.

Six Colorado farm workers have tested positive for bird flu so far this July after sorting chickens at an infected egg farm. Additionally, a presumptive positive human case was reported on a different Colorado poultry farm, where 23 workers developed symptoms and were tested.