Milk Testing Begins Today

As of today, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of Agriculture will begin testing raw milk for the H5N1 virus. This surveillance will be part of the routine bulk tank tests. If the avian influenza is identified in a sample, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health will collect an additional sample to confirm the virus. If confirmed, samples will be sent to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames. The farm will be quarantined for at least 30 days. This testing is part of the National Milk Testing Strategy.