Six More Yakima County Herds in Under Two Weeks
Bird flu has now been confirmed in eight Washington dairy herds, all in Yakima County, according to state and federal case listings cited by My Vet Candy and other agricultural outlets. The count has quadrupled since Oct. 8, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the state’s first two infected herds. A third herd was added around Oct. 15, and five more appeared on the listings by Oct. 19.
For shoppers, the practical message has not changed, but it matters more in Washington now. Infected cows shed the virus into their milk. Pasteurization inactivates it, so milk, cheese and yogurt from the grocery store remain safe. Raw milk, products made from raw milk, and raw pet food are a different story, and health officials in Yakima County are telling residents to avoid them.
That advice carries extra weight in a state where raw milk is legal. Washington allows licensed producers to sell raw milk directly to consumers, and every retail container must carry a warning label, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The agency’s own guidance calls raw milk “a potentially hazardous product.”
The First Two Herds Had Passed Routine Milk Tests
The outbreak was caught on the farm — not in the milk tank. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in its Oct. 8 announcement that the first two herds were tested after cows showed clinical signs. Both herds had previously tested negative under the National Milk Testing Strategy, the federal program that screens bulk milk for the virus. USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 clade 2.3.4.4b, and genetic sequencing was still pending…