Source: Agriculture Dive
The U.S. has unveiled a $200 million plan to enhance bird flu testing and biosecurity measures on dairy farms, aiming to prevent the virus from spreading to humans. The Agriculture Department will allocate $100 million to support biosecurity and virus containment measures on affected dairy farms, providing up to $28,000 per location over 120 days. The Department of Health and Human Services will also invest $100 million in contact tracing, wastewater surveillance, and vaccine research.
Financial incentives will cover Veterinary fees, biosecurity costs, and personal protective equipment for workers. The USDA will assist states with movement restrictions on lactating cattle and offer payments to offset milk production losses. As of May 13, nine states have reported bird flu in 42 dairy herds. Despite the outbreak, there are no current concerns about the safety of commercial milk and beef supplies, with most affected cows recovering successfully. Public health experts urge a coordinated government response to prevent human transmission.