Bird Flu Moves to Dairy Cattle – What To Look For

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJON News) - Last month, the first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the highly contagious “Bird Flu” was reported in a dairy herd in Texas. Since then, six other cases have been confirmed in Texas, as well as a pair of cases in Kansas, and one each in Michigan, New Mexico, and Idaho.

Now officials report the first case of Avian Influenza in a human that is believed to have worked with that cattle herd.

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While detection of the bird flu in a poultry operation means the entire flock is quarantined, Dr. Rosemary Sifford with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service doesn’t believe the same treatment will be necessary in a dairy herd.

So far it appears that the cattle are able to recover after a couple of weeks (and) go back into the milking herd. At this point, we do not expect the need to depopulate cattle.
Dairy operations are asked to increase their bio-security measures and be acutely aware of each cow’s health.

Signs of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dairy Cattle:

Texas officials said cattle experience flu-like symptoms, a fever, a sharp reduction in milk production, low appetite, and thick and discolored milk.

It isn’t known how many cattle were infected, but USDA officials report about 10% of the herd became infected with no deaths reported due to the disease.
If those symptoms exist, contact your veterinarian immediately.

No Risk To Milk Supply:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says testing has found the virus has not changed and is not any more transmissible to humans.

Officials say there is no risk to the commercial milk supply. Milk from the infected cattle is being diverted or destroyed, and modern pasteurization is very effective against bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

In other news, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health has reported a juvenile goat tested positive for Bird Flu. The goat shared pasture space and a water supply with a poultry flock that had tested positive for Bird Flu.

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