WASHINGTON, D.C. – After collecting 30 samples of ground beef from retail outlets in the states with dairy cattle herds that had tested positive for the H5N1 influenza virus at the time of sample collection, the federal government is announcing results from its testing.
The samples were sent to APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for PCR testing. On May 1, NVSL reported that all samples tested negative for H5N1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), reaffirmed the country’s meat supply is safe.
The agencies announced Monday that they would test the beef supply for H5N1 following last week’s outbreak of bovine influenza A in dairy cows (also known as avian flu in poultry and birds), some of which are slaughtered for meat.
What You Need To Know
*30 samples of ground beef sold at retail have tested negative for the bird flu virus
*The USDA began testing ground beef earlier this week in herds where the bird flu virus was detected in dairy cows
*H5N1 has been detected in dairy cows in nine states
The USDA is also conducting muscle sampling for systemic pathologies of cull dairy cows condemned at select FSIS-inspected slaughter facilities. The samples will be analyzed by APHIS using PCR to determine presence of viral particles. The results are forthcoming and will be posted as soon as they become available.
USDA To Test Ground Beef, Muscle Meat For H5N1 Virus 〉
Earlier this week, the USDA collected 30 samples of ground beef from retail outlets in herds where the bovine influenza A (also knowns as bird flu virus) was detected in cows. H5N1 has been detected in nine states, including Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Colorado. The agency assessed the ground beef samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at its National Veterinary Services Lab and determined no virus particles were present in any of the samples.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird or avian flu, can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Bird flu does not normally infect humans, though sporadic infections in people have occurred. Two dairy farm workers have been sickened in this outbreak.
The virus has previously not migrated trans-species, having been found only in poultry and wild birds. Scientists continue to research how the transference between species is occurring.
The retail ground beef tests are one of three beef safety studies the agency is conducting following the recent H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle. It is also PCR testing the muscles of dairy cows that were culled for disease at the slaughter facilities it inspects.
The USDA said its Food Safety and Inspection Service veterinarians are present at all federal livestock slaughter facilities to inspect every animal before and after it is slaughtered to determine if it is safe to enter the human food supply.
The agency will also conduct a beef cooking study using a so-called virus surrogate to see how cooking at different temperatures affects virus reduction. It recommends consumers always properly handle raw meats and cook them to a safe internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses.
The USDA tests follow last week’s FDA finding that the milk supply was safe, despite 20% of commercial milk samples testing positive for bird flu fragments. Both the FDA and the USDA said pasteurization and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows has kept the U.S. milk supply safe
