Two completely unrelated news stories

From the Arkansas Times:

Bill deregulating raw dairy products passes Senate, heads to governor’s desk
 by Phillip Powell

A bill to deregulate the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk heads to Gov. Sarah Sanders’s desk after it was overwhelmingly passed by the state Senate on Monday.

If signed by the governor, House Bill 1048 would allow farmers who produce unpasteurized goat milk, sheep milk or whole milk to sell the product at farmer’s markets and to deliver the product to customers – greatly increasing consumer access to the product.

“The other side benefit of this bill is the goats whose milk is being drank might otherwise be executed, so it’s a PETA bill too, you’ll be saving goats,” the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale), said, referencing the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, ahead of Monday’s Senate vote.

The bill passed 33-1, with Sen. Stephanie Flowers (D-Pine Bluff) as the only “no” vote.

Farmers would still be limited to selling 500 gallons a month under a 2013 law, and they would still be required to properly label the product as unpasteurized, but buyers would assume liability for all illness that may occur after drinking the dairy product.

 

From Discover Magazine:

Bird Flu’s Spread Among Dairy Cows Appears to Be Picking Up Its Pace

 by Paul Smaglik

 

The first case of bird flu in cattle was reported on March 25, 2024. In less than a year, the virus has hit 973 herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first issued an order to test cows that farmers intended to move between states last April. Then, in December 2024, the agency issued a federal order for milk testing. The order stipulated that unpasteurized milk samples be collected from dairy processing facilities nationwide and tested, with the results being shared with the USDA.

Since then, the virus has been detected in 17 states: 747 herds in California, 64 in Colorado, 35 in Idaho, 31 in Michigan, 27 in Texas, 13 each in Iowa and Utah, nine each in Minnesota and New Mexico, seven each in Nevada and South Dakota, four in Kansas, two in Oklahoma, and one each in Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming.

...

Complicating matters, it is unclear how many CDC employees are still employed to monitor the spread of the virus and how many USDA workers are still on the job to conduct the milk testing orders.

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The virus has been spreading in humans as well — but not as rapidly as in poultry or dairy cows, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. So far, 69 people in the U.S. have tested positive for the virus. Of those, 23 cases involved poultry farm workers, and 41 involved dairy farm workers.