Despite HPAI – H5N1 Avian Influenza not being detected in Pennsylvania, Turner’s Dairy is letting consumers in our area know they are taking steps to ensure safety should it reach the Keystone State.

The Pittsburgh dairy said it has been in communication with state agencies, veterinarians, and the Center for Dairy Excellence to ensure their farm partners are reducing the risk to their herds in order to continue to supply milk to Turner’s safely.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, USDA, and other resources like the Center for Dairy Excellence have done an excellent job quickly identifying the disease and putting plans into action to limit the spread and protect consumers,” says Chuck Turner, President of Turner Dairy Farms. “Within just a couple months all our farms have the resources needed to identify and quarantine infected animals, and limit spreading the disease to neighboring farms.”

They are providing biosecurity kits, up-to-date information, and plans to their farm partners in case the virus is detected in western Pennsylvania.

Should it reach Pennsylvania and be detected on a farm that works with Turner’s, they have said they will discard the milk and it will not be shipped to Turner’s facilities for processing.

“Our primary goal is to protect consumer health, but we cannot expect our farm partners to bear the burden themselves. Turner’s is committed to fully compensating our farmers in the event they must dump milk because of the avian flu.” Turner said. “We are all in this together and need to do everything in our power to ensure consumers have safe, high-quality milk and dairy products for their families.”

The disease has been present in the United States for several years, but a couple of months ago migratory waterfowl first transmitted it to dairy cattle in the south-central U.S. Since that time, it has spread to other dairy heard through the transportation of cattle from infected areas to new regions.

It has not, however, been detected in Pennsylvania.