Last week, we reported on confirmed cases of avian flu in chicken flocks in North Dakota. Now, it has taken on a national role as the United States Department of Agriculture is asking raw milk producers to test their products to prevent the spread.

In the last 30 days, the USDA says more than 280 cases of avian flu have been confirmed in cattle in at least two states.

As more cases of avian flu in cattle are reported across the country, and to help prevent the spread, dairy farmers are being asked to test their raw milk.

Peter Bartlett of Bartlett Farms in Bottineau said the requirement has only been placed on larger dairies sending milk off to be pasteurized at this time.

He also said consumers should be reminded that the avian flu is primarily a poultry virus and very rarely do humans attract it.

“Cows really don’t die from it, it’s very mild and people hardly ever get it. The only ones that have gotten it are workers that are in contact with livestock,” said Bartlett.

The Barletts have 15 dairy cows currently producing milk and have been in business since 2009 as a direct-consumer farm.

He said they take a three-step safety approach when it comes to raw milk production: the diet and health of the cow, equipment cleanliness and testing.

The Bartlett family is continuing to keep up to date on the virus within the dairy industry.

While human cases of avian flu are uncommon, state health officials we have spoken with in past reporting said there is a risk in consuming raw milk.

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