Bird flu confirmed on Nebraska dairy farm

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LINCOLN - The Nebraska State Dairy Association confirms a positive case of avian influenza virus on a dairy farm in central Nebraska.
DNA sequencing indicates it matches a California strain, indicating the introduction of the virus through the movement of animals from California.
There is no danger for pasteurized milk, but extension offices in Beatrice, Grand Island and Norfolk are offering personal protective equipment for biosecurity of workers at quarantined farms.
In Nebraska, farmers can sell under 500 gallons of raw milk per month from their farm. A new law this year allows sales at farmers markets or natural food stores.
Nebraska Public Media reported last summer that there is no evidence that bird flu can be transmitted to humans through milk. People who have contracted the virus in previous instances were working closely with infected animals.
Iowa State University researcher Rahul Nelli says pasteurization has been proven to kill bird flu.