Dairy farmers urged to beef up biosecurity amid bird flu concerns
State and federal officials are urging cattle operators to improve their biosecurity as researchers work on diagnostics and genome sequencing to understand why highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is infecting dairy livestock at several farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the detection of avian influenza in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Idaho since the first cases were reported last week. While state and federal health officials have determined that avian influenza reached dairy herds via infected wild birds, they cannot rule out the possibility of cow-to-cow transmission as the virus spreads. This incident marks the first time the flu was found in cows. The USDA has no concern of avian influenza getting into the nation's milk supply due to regulatory practices and pasteurization, which would kill the virus. The public health risk remains low, and some states are issuing commerce restrictions. The USDA is encouraging strong diligence by stakeholders to ensure only healthy cattle are moving across state lines. One of the biggest questions researchers are working on is why certain cattle are more susceptible to the virus than others. Currently, older dairy cows are more likely to test positive and exhibit avian influenza symptoms, while young and mid-lactation cattle are less likely to contract the disease. There have been no confirmed reports of the virus in cattle raised for beef.
