The H5N1 virus was discovered during the testing of 96 dairy cows that were removed from the supply due to the observation of signs of illness by federal inspectors during routine inspections of carcasses at meat processing facilities, according to the USDA. Only one of those cows was discovered to have bird flu.
Bird flu has been verified in dairy cattle herds in nine states, has been detected in milk, and has resulted in the slaughter of millions of chickens and turkeys. However, the discovery of the substance in beef is a novel development in the outbreak, which commenced in 2022.
The EPA announced this month it will test ground beef for avian flu at retail establishments, but no virus was found.
Despite the possibility that avian flu could be present in consumer beef, the USDA asserts that cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit will eliminate it in the same manner as it effectively eliminates E. coli and other viruses.
This spring, avian flu infected two farmworkers who worked at dairies in Michigan and Texas. Public risk is low, but farmworkers exposed to diseased animals are at risk, health authorities said.
The United States has only confirmed one additional human case of avian flu. A Montrose County, Colorado, prisoner on a work program caught it in 2022 while killing diseased birds at a poultry farm. All he had was weariness, and he recovered.
