Sen. Mitt Romney is sounding the alarm about the spread of the bird flu virus and called on federal agencies to do more.
“I am alarmed by reports about the rapid spread of the bird flu virus (H5N1), and concerned that your agencies are not moving quickly enough to understand and contain the outbreak,” the Utah Republican said in a letter to the heads of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was released Thursday.
“It is critical that you work swiftly to get ahead of this emerging situation and reassure the American public that they — and our food supply — remain safe,” Romney wrote. “Given your agencies’ recent experience with the COVID-19 pandemic and baby formula shortage, I am concerned that once again our federal government and its interagency process appears to be caught flat-footed.”
Romney is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Late last week, federal food safety regulators said retail milk remains safe to drink even though 1 in 5 samples tested by the FDA found traces of highly pathogenic avian influenza’s viral fragments, mostly in areas where bird flu was found in dairy cattle herds. Some 33 herds tested positive for the virus in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio and Texas.
The CDC says the current public health risk is low but the agency “is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.” As of Tuesday, the CDC reported that “H5N1 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with one recent human case in a U.S. dairy worker,” in Texas.
The only previous human case in the U.S. occurred in 2022, the agency said.
In his letter, Romney said the CDC, along with the USDA and the FDA are responsible “for protecting American consumers and livestocks from threats like bird flu.” But, he added, “Critical questions remain unanswered regarding the transmission and spread of the virus, requirements for testing livestock, and the safety of our milk and beef supply in the United States.”
The senator, who is not seeking reelection this year, pointed out the first case of H5N1 was confirmed in dairy cattle on March 25, followed by the April 1 confirmation of the nation’s second-ever human case of the virus strain. So far, no cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported but Romney said he’s concerned about the fragments of the virus turning up in milk.
“It is essential that you move to fill the existing gaps in our public health knowledge by conducting sound science and quickly disseminating accurate information,” Romney wrote, requesting a response to questions about the outbreak, including whether there are federal programs, like the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System used to monitor COVID-19, that can track bird flu.
Rachel Carter is a health and wellness expert dedicated to helping readers lead healthier lives. With a background in nutrition, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.
