USDA testing ground beef in wake of bird flu outbreak among dairy cattle [Video]

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Although confident that the nation’s meat supply is safe, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting three different studies related to H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle.

The avian influenza has been detected in wild birds worldwide and most recently is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows.

Among the studies, the USDA is looking to test ground beef from retail stores in states where cow herds have tested positive for H5N1, a spokesperson for the USDA reported. The samples gathered from these outlets will be analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to identify “whether any viral particles are present.”

An alternative study will examine beef muscle samples collected from cull dairy cows condemned at certain Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)-inspected slaughter facilities. Here, samples of muscle collected from cattle condemned for systemic pathologies will be similarly analyzed using PCR, as reported by the USDA.

For both the retail and slaughter studies, any PCR positive samples will be …