WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Wednesday that 15 additional states have enrolled in the National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the total number of states to 28 in roughly one month since the program launched.
These 28 states represent nearly 65% of the nation’s milk production.
In addition, USDA is sharing updates on its expedited work to support vaccine development for use in poultry and bovine species as part of a multi-faceted effort to fight the spread of H5N1.
“Across the country, a strong network of public and private veterinarians, as well as state and local agriculture and health officials, have been working hand-in-hand with USDA to make the National Milk Testing Strategy as robust a weapon as possible in our fight against H5N1, and to ensure farmers have the information and tools they need to protect their businesses, their families, their workers, and ultimately their communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA remains fully committed to working with farmers and our public health partners to evolve our strategy based on our latest findings so we can keep people and animals safe from this virus.”
