After a lull in the number of new HPAI outbreaks, we have seen three more dairy herds in California testing positive recently. It does bring the seasonal issue back into focus. The disease seems to flair up with the migration season of birds. As we enter into fall, we prepare to possibly see the numbers tick back up. With that possibility, agencies in charge of food safety are once again assuring consumers that our food supplies are safe from the HPAI virus.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Dr. Robert Califf says that now with California becoming the 14th state to be affected, they are not planning to take their foot off the gas when it comes to surveillance of our dairy supply.
Commissioner Califf says that they will continue to work with all their partners to keep all issues at bay.
Califf says that his larger concern is that future mutations of H5N1 could become more dangerous to humans, but at this point that is not something that has happened.
The key to monitoring any mutations that could affect humans can be found in monitoring the hog herds around the country. Because when hogs get affected, humans aren’t far behind.
That was FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.
