HOUSTON (KIAH) – You maybe seeing less cow’s milk at the grocery store. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as Texas state veterinary and public health officials, are investigating avian influenza cases primarily among older dairy cows in Texas. Others states seeing the infected cows included Kansas and New Mexico. The USDA said the illness caused decreased lactation, low appetite, and other symptoms among the cows.

At this stage, the USDA reported there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption. Milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the food supply. In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Pasteurization is required for any milk entering interstate commerce.