UGA partners with FDA to test dairy supplies for avian influenza

The University of Georgia is partnering with the Food and Drug Administration to test U.S. dairy supplies for avian influenza.

UGA is one of five institutions nationwide helping to ensure the safety of dairy products during the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) outbreak to reduce the threat of avian influenza to human and animal health.

The UGA Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research, a Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response, will lead the university’s efforts. Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CEIRR No. 202175N93021C00018), the center is one of only six such institutions focusing on the history, transmission and progression of influenza nationwide.

“This virus and its spread are concerning,” said S. Mark Tompkins, director and principal investigator of the UGA center. “I worry about the changing ecology of this virus, the sustained spread of H5N1 across dairy farms, and our ability to take the steps to address it.”

Avian influenza virus detected in U.S. dairy supply

Commonly known as bird flu, H5N1 is found in wild aquatic birds across the globe and can cause outbreaks and disease in poultry. In recent years, the virus has evolved to infect more than 100 mammalian species, including bears, foxes and even a dolphin.