Testing at Bulk Milk plants will now be required in Pennsylvania according to Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding due to a growing number of cases of Avian flu across the country.
There have been no reported cases of the virus in Pennsylvania but with rising cases in California, Colorado, Michigan, testing is intended to prevent the spread of the disease.
Testing will be done at no charge to farmers and milk samples will be collected in milk tank trucks transporting milk to processing plants.
Pennsylvania is currently only one of three states without an outbreak. In April of 2024 Pennsylvania issued a Quarantine Order requiring testing of dairy cattle entering the state when HPAI was first detected in herds in other states.