“Massachusetts dairy farmers follow stringent safety protocols and take great pride in producing the highest-quality products,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “That hard work protects all of us, and these test results demonstrate how supporting local agriculture and sourcing food from Massachusetts farms can keep our food supply strong and resilient.”

The Healey-Driscoll Administration made the decision to test all herds in an effort to protect public health and demonstrate the safety of the food supply at Massachusetts farms. The virus, most commonly known as Avian Influenza, was first detected back in March in dairy cows in Texas. Since that time, it has spread to herds in at least 14 states. While not all animals have symptoms, those that do, exhibit lethargy and show reduced milk production for a few weeks. There have also been several cases of dairy farm workers who have contracted the virus and experienced flu-like symptoms from coming into contact with unpasteurized milk. Pasteurization kills the virus and renders it safe for human consumption.

The testing program was conducted in collaboration between MDAR and DPH. MDAR inspectors visited dairies in August to collect samples of milk from their bulk tanks. DPH worked with the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard to test the samples at no cost to the farmers.