U.S.government requires testing for bird flu in milk to stop the virus from spreading.

The U.S. government is making milk testing for bird flu mandatory to monitor its spread in cows. This order will start on December 16th and will begin in six states: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

This action is being taken to control and eliminate the virus, known as Type A H5N1, which was first found in U.S. dairy cows in March. Since then, it has infected over 700 herds in 15 states.

While the risk of bird flu spreading to humans is low, this measure aims to ensure the safety of farm animals and workers. Pasteurization, a heat treatment process, effectively kills the virus in milk, making it safe for consumption.

Experts have been advocating for nationwide milk testing, and this order marks a positive step towards better control over the virus's spread. Despite a previous order in April requiring testing of certain cows moving between states, the virus has continued to spread.

Raw milk from infected cows has been found to contain high amounts of the live virus, and there have been cases of people, mainly farm workers, getting infected after contact with infected cows or their milk. The government strongly advises against drinking raw milk due to the risk of harmful germs, and they continue to monitor the situation closely.