ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As local ranchers grapple with the spread of avian flu among cattle, New Mexico Department of Health officials say to avoid raw milk. New Mexico is one of the states with confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infections in dairy cattle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports eight cases among New Mexico dairy milking cattle as of May 6.
“Raw milk that has not been pasteurized may present a higher risk of HPAI and other virus/bacteria transmission,” David Morgan, a public information officer for the New Mexico Department of Health says. “People should avoid consuming raw milk or raw cheeses.”
Currently, two New Mexico farms offer raw milk for sale to consumers, according to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA). Several stores in Albuquerque have permits to sell raw milk. As of May 2, HPAI had not been found at any New Mexico dairies that produce raw milk for sale, NMDA says. But producers are keeping an eye out for infected cattle.
“We’ve been in contact with the USDA and we are on high alert for the symptoms they say go along with the illness,” Adam Martin from Sunrise Creamery told KRQE. “And if we see that, we would pull that cow out of the herd or keep her milk separate.”
“To date, we have not seen the symptoms yet,” Martin said on May 6.
To keep the illness at bay, the New Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB) and NMDA issued new guidance to farmers, essentially limiting the number of people visiting farms as a way to boost biosecurity. “Both NMLB and NMDA continue to work daily with state and federal partners, as well as members of New Mexico’s agriculture industry, to provide up-to-the-minute guidance to protect the milk supply and reduce the financial impact on our valuable dairy producers,” the state’s department of agriculture said in a statement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the “commercial milk supply is safe because of both the pasteurization process and [because] milk from sick cows is being diverted or destroyed.” Experts’ current understanding of HPAI is that it is likely inactivated at the temperatures used to pasteurize milk.
