WASHINGTON (USDA) – Gary Crawford with the US Department of Agriculture says there are two new developments regarding the bird flu.
First, USDA has just confirmed a case of H5N1 bird flu virus in a pig on a small farm in Oregon. It is the first time the virus has shown up in swine, at least in the U.S. Officials say the farm is non-commercial. No products from that farm are intended for public consumption, so no food safety problem there. The farm is being quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus, which has shown up across the country in several animal species, including dairy cows. On that front, USDA has just announced plans to start testing raw, bulk milk supplies across the country for the H5N1 virus. This, they say, will help to better track the spread of the disease. Gary Crawford, reporting for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
