USA: Testing for H5N1 virus in ground beef samples

Federal officials are looking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy herds across nine states since late March and in one person in Texas. The US CDC and WHO both believe that the risk from H5N1 to public health in general is low, but higher for people exposed to sick animals. Illustration photo: Getty Images Scientists believe avian flu is more widespread in dairy cows than officially reported, based on the finding of the H5N1 virus in about 20% of commercial milk samples. On April 26, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced standard PCR test results showing that the pasteurization process had destroyed the avian influenza virus in milk. In the US, when old dairy cows are slaughtered for meat. According to the US Government's announcement, the Department of Agriculture is tasked with analyzing retail ground beef samples using PCR tests to determine whether the H5N1 virus exists in meat products, and conducting additional ...