Local business preparing for bird flu to hit area

PENN HILLS, Pa. — According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the H5N1 virus – known commonly as the avian flu or bird flu – has been found in nearly three dozen dairy cattle herds across eight states.

“To this point, there have been no cases in Pennsylvania, but we’re doing what we can to prepare in the event as well as reduce our risk,” said Steve Turner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Turner Dairy Farms.

Turner said the preparation is important.

“We work with about 30 independent family farms within Western Pennsylvania, so we want to make sure we’re protecting our farmers, protecting their cows, as well as their livelihoods,” Turner told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek. “But, primarily, we need to make sure consumers that Turner’s products are safe and nutritious for their families.”

Along with state and federal agencies, Turner’s is staying in constant contact with those farms that supply milk to their plant for processing.

They’ve given biosecurity kits to all of their farms. That includes a nasal swab test to test cows for the virus.

“Parts of it would definitely be in terms of testing to make sure they can quickly identify animals that are sick, then be able to get them out of the herds,” Turner said. “The first and biggest sign is that they’ll have a drop in their milk production.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said nearly one in five samples, or 20% of milk across the country has tested positive for traces of bird flu.

But the risk of consumers getting sick from drinking it, Turner said, is low.

“There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind, whether it’s processers like us or regulatory agencies that there’s any doubt that pasteurization is effective against this,” Turner said.

Some other good news?

“The cows that are getting sick, I believe in almost every case, are making a recovery,” Turner said.

If cows at any of the farms that supply milk to Turner’s fall sick with bird flu, Turner said that milk will be thrown out and not shipped to their plant for processing. He also said Turner Dairy will compensate that farm if that happens.

“This is issue is so top of mind for federal, state regulators, as well as processors and farmers, there’s really very little risk to food safety, to public safety,” Turner said.

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