USDA Says Vermont's Milk Supply is Free of Bird Flu

By Howard Weiss-Tisman

Vermont’s milk supply has not been affected by the bird flu virus, which was detected on some farms in the West and Midwest last year.

Vermont started testing its milk in January after the U.S. Department of Agriculture required a nationwide testing program following bird flu outbreaks in other parts of the country.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets says it received a report this week saying Vermont’s milk supply has been declared “unaffected” by highly pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu.

Vermont is the first state in New England to receive the status from USDA.

“This is an important moment for Vermont and our dairy industry,” said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont secretary of agriculture. “Thank you to our dairy farmers for stepping up and participating. This achievement means that, as always, you can depend on Vermont milk to be nutritious and safe.”

HPAI, or bird flu, is highly pathogenic to domestic poultry, and the virus can wipe out entire flocks of chickens and turkeys.

The disease is widespread in wild birds worldwide, and scientists have been concerned with the disease spreading to dairy cows, and then to humans, including farm employees who work near infected cows.

Pasteurization kills the virus, and most of the nation’s commercial milk supply is safe.

Vermont originally said it would test its milk at large collection sites, where many farms go to deliver their milk to be processed.