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The Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday ordered that the country’s raw milk supply to be tested for the bird flu virus, in hopes of better controlling the virus outbreak, which began spreading to cattle last year.

The new rule, which requires unpasteurized milk from dairy farms or dairy processing facilities to be tested for the virus upon request from the government, replaces existing guidance that made testing optional. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the new rule is aimed at helping to monitor and control the outbreak.

“This new milk testing strategy will … provide a roadmap for states to protect the health of their dairy herds,”  Vilsack said. “This will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide.”

Farmers who have animals that test positive for the virus are now required to provide epidemiological details to help with contact tracing of the virus under the new rule, and private laboratories and state veterinarians will also be required to report positive results from tests done on raw milk samples.

The first round of testing is scheduled for the week of Dec. 16 in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania, according to The Hill.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.