(NewsNation) — The recent bird flu outbreak is not helping prices at the grocery store, as the virus has gripped herds of cattle in several states and is now forcing federal regulators to closely monitor the nation’s milk supply.
In April, federal lawmakers urged the Biden administration to further contain the virus’ spread as tests showed 1 in 5 U.S. commercial milk samples contained remnants of the virus, suggesting the outbreak is more widespread than previously thought.
So far, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not seen signs that the virus is changing to be more transmissible to people. Two farmworkers have been infected with bird flu since the outbreak began.
Nevertheless, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will test ground beef for bird flu particles, though officials said they’re confident the nation’s meat supply is safe.
Bird flu has been found in nearly three dozen dairy herds across nine states. The new testing is the latest effort by the USDA to track and understand how the virus is spreading among livestock.
One person, a Texas farm worker, has been confirmed to have bird flu and suffered conjunctivitis in the current outbreak following exposure to dairy cows. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization said on Friday the current overall public health risk is low, but is higher for those with exposure to infected animals.
Reuters contributed to this story.
