( file photo )
Governor Tim Walz is pledging another $4 million in his new budget proposal for the fight against bird flu. The governor says the state could be free of the most recent avian flu detections in the next few days but cautions another spike could happen as migratory birds return.
Walz says the state’s aggressive approach is working…
“Good news on this is through the work of the experts in this state collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, able to have the most robust and I would say effective monitoring and ability to contain of probably any of the states.”
Statewide testing of some 1600 dairy farms across the state have turned up only one positive test recently in Stearns County.
Minnesota Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says even with the potential for positive tests, our food supply is safe…
“I also want to emphasis that pasteurized milk is safe to drink. The USDA and FDA testing that and in routine surveillances have not found any danger to the public in pasteurized milk and properly cooked meat.”
Petersen agrees with stronger monetary backing for HPAI testing and control measures, noting that the current funding has dropped to between one to two million dollars.
(content, in part: courtesy MNN)
