As a rapidly increasing number of California dairy farms suffer outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu, industry experts say it remains unclear just how the disease may affect the nation’s milk supply or pricing.

As of Oct. 9, the nation’s largest milk producing state had reported 93 H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds — nearly doubling in the span of a week. The Los Angeles Times reports there have also been three confirmed and two presumptive cases of human infection. All five cases were among Central Valley dairy workers who had no known connection.

State and federal health authorities insist that H5N1 poses little threat to humans and that it is safe to drink milk that has been pasteurized, because the process kills the virus.

Back to the bovine side of the coin, dairy farmers and veterinarians are reporting far greater rates of mortality among infected herds than anticipated and steep drops in the rate of milk production among recovered cows.

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