Maryland, New York, Ohio and Vermont are among the states that will soon begin USDA testing of milk for avian influenza.
Indiana, Montana and Washington will also join the second round of testing. Pennsylvania and five other states are already participating in the first round.
Under the National Milk Testing Strategy, milk samples will be collected from milk silos at processing plants. If avian influenza is detected, further testing will drill down to the farm level.
The first two rounds include eight of the top 15 dairy states and nearly 50% of U.S. dairy production. In an announcement Tuesday, USDA did not give a date when the second group of states would start testing.
Detections of avian influenza in cows have exploded late this year, with most recent cases in California.
The virus causes production losses in cows and has in some cases been transmitted to humans, making it a concern for both animal and human health.
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