Don't Worry, Your Milk Isn't Contaminated Montana Consumers

I love milk. Ever since I was a small child on the ranch in the Highwood Mountains, I have loved it. Rounding up the milk cow not so much, but the payoff of a super fresh glass of ice-cold milk was worth it.

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I still drink as much as I did as a child. So, when reports of a contamination of milk supplies in our country hit my inbox, I immediately snapped to attention and felt a little panic enter my mind. No more milk? What would I do?

Joint Statement on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dairy

On March 25, 2024, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that the avian influenza had been found in two separate states, in two separate herds of dairy cattle. Those reports came from herds in Texas and in Kansas.

Detections of avian flu in animals other than birds is uncommon, but not unheard of. However, most cattle will recover quickly from this, within about two weeks. These are more common in the United States in the spring and fall due to wild birds spreading the virus as they migrate to and from their seasonal homes.

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Don't Start Dumping Your Milk Down the Drain in Montana

According to the USDA, there is no threat to human health and milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. Due to the pasteurization process and the high heat treatment, harmful microbes and pathogens in milk, including the influenza virus are killed.

The release further stated that "Avian influenza is an animal health issue, not a human health concern. Importantly, mammals including cows do not spread avian influenza—it requires birds as the vector of transmission and it’s extremely rare for the virus to affect humans because most people will never have direct and prolonged contact with an infected bird."