NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, was recently detected in a dairy herd in North Carolina, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The avian flu, detected by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL), had already been detected in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, New Mexico, and Ohio.
The movement of cattle from affected herds in these states to North Carolina has been suspended.
By law, milk bought in North Carolina is required to be pasteurized -- a process that would kill bird flu should any milk from an infected herd make it into the supply.
The news has left some consumers scratching their heads, questioning what this could mean for their eggs and milk and whether or not they can catch bird flu.
Michael Martin, the North Carolina state veterinarian, said the overall threat to people remains low.
"There has been no evidence right now as far as any humans becoming sick from this," Martin said. "I've really tried to push people in the direction of going and looking at what the Food and Drug Administration says."
The FDA reports no concerns that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health or the safety of the interstate commercial milk supply.
This is because products are pasteurized before entering the market, which kills any bacteria or viruses.
"To sell unpasteurized milk in North Carolina is illegal," Martin said. "The milk that you're buying in the stores is pasteurized."
Experts say the real threat is the number of dying and sick birds and how the avian flu impacts other animals. Martin said they are working to understand how it affects the cattle's health.
He said they will continue to monitor the situation in order to provide more information to the public.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.