Federal officials continue to investigate the spread of avian flu, also known as bird flu, in livestock across the country and are now testing the U.S. beef supply to look for the genetic presence of the H5N1 virus.
The virus has been found in at least 34 cattle herds across nine states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The federal agency said it remains confident that the nation’s meat supply is safe.
“There have been no cases of any human being contracting bird flu or H5N1 from meat or milk. So it’s completely safe,” Dr. Scott Haskell, a professor of food safety at the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University, told ABC News. “It’s not a disease that spreads through eating or drinking.”
A spokesperson from the USDA said in a statement: “USDA has a rigorous meat inspection process, where USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) veterinarians are present at all federal livestock slaughter facilities.”
The news from the USDA comes after the Food and Drug Administration noted that fragments of the virus were found in the commercial milk supply. Later tests showed that the widespread practice of pasteurization inactivated the virus.
“This additional testing did not detect any live, infectious virus. These results reaffirm our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said.
