WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers have one big message regarding the outbreak of avian influenza in cattle. It means “calm down.”
As the H5N1 virus jumps from birds to more than 35 dairy farms in nine states, Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration for quick and clear information about the risks to dairy cows and potentially humans. There is. But even as new tests show pasteurized milk is safe and agricultural officials impose inspection regimes on interstate movement of cattle, Republicans are raising other concerns: – The warning means damage for the dairy industry.
“The problem I have is that this issue is being talked about so emotionally that people may react to it,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania). ” he said. “The only thing I’m pointing to is swine flu. [outbreak in 2009] it had nothing to do with pigs [but] This had a significant negative impact on the pig industry. ”
Texas has one reported transmission of the current H5N1 strain to a farm worker. Scientists and federal officials say virus fragments in pasteurized milk do not appear to be harmful, but raw milk, which is sold legally and is popular in states like Thompson, could still pose a threat. There is.
“My concern is that [the Biden administration is] They’re going to use this for more fear porn,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a vocal critic of the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, another infectious disease crisis. In his state, Wisconsin, H5N1 cases have been reported in birds, but not in cattle.
Republicans insist that they are not denying efforts to at least strengthen livestock infectious disease resources. Thompson’s committee on Wednesday released an updated overview of a broad farm bill that would allow for oversight and support for agricultural programs, including the dairy industry, which faces new inspection and oversight requirements.
The bill’s summary states that it “compiles provisions regarding the health and management of livestock and the prevention of diseases in exotic animals.” Thompson told STAT that while these efforts were underway before the H5N1 outbreak, he also called for more funding to support these efforts. .
“We’re basically doubling down on the investment in terms of the three elements of animal health: research, infrastructure and personnel,” he told STAT on Tuesday. This represents an investment of about $2 billion through the budget process and has broad support, he said.
The farm bill is scheduled to be tabled by the Thompson Committee on May 23rd, the first step toward passage. Meanwhile, a new federal budget is on the distant horizon. Meanwhile, state health officials and farm workers have already expressed concerns about continuing to meet new federal testing requirements for dairy cows.
Scientists and even some Democrats say testing and federal information sharing are too limited to provide a clear picture of H5N1’s risk to other cattle and potentially to humans. .
People were shocked last month when the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that the infection in cows was more widespread than previously thought and that fragments of the virus had been detected in milk. There were people too.
“The fundamental question here is: why didn’t we do more to prevent this? Once this gets passed on to cows, and possibly pigs, there’s a greater chance that it will infect humans,” the science says. said Nigel Sizer, executive director of Pandemic Prevention at the Source, a network of research and advocacy groups.
Former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food and Veterinary Medicine Stephen Ostroff also expressed concern about how widespread testing actually is and the lack of clear public communication about the risks.
“This is very reminiscent of the early stages of COVID-19, when we were flying a little blind because we didn’t have enough testing to know exactly who was infected. Because they didn’t have the capacity,” Ostrov said. “The lack of context is a real challenge. How many samples were tested? Where did they come from?”
Democrats in dairy-heavy states also want a federal action plan to help farmers struggling to quarantine and test their herds.
“The federal government is committed to helping dairy farmers and producers weather this pandemic, fighting this infectious disease, stopping the spread of this virus, and keeping consumers safe,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). “We must step up to help ensure that we understand what is being done to ensure that we understand what is being done.” ) he said in a letter to agriculture officials on Thursday.
But at least for now, Republicans are urging Americans not to panic.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, urged federal health and agriculture officials in April to: Committee briefing session Regarding the progress of avian influenza.
He told STAT on Tuesday that he texted CDC Director Mandy Cohen directly to try to set up a briefing, and “she emphasized that it is not infecting humans.”
Mr Cassidy said he would “like to know more” about the potential risks, but acknowledged that “they seem to have good oversight”.
