U.S. dairy cow tests positive for bird flu for the first timeExBulletin

Dairy cows are fed on a farm near Bado, New Mexico, on March 31, 2017. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that cows in multiple states have tested positive for avian influenza.

Rodrigo Abdo/AP

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Rodrigo Abdo/AP

Dairy cows are fed on a farm near Bado, New Mexico, on March 31, 2017. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that cows in multiple states have tested positive for avian influenza.

Rodrigo Abdo/AP

Livestock at multiple dairy farms across the U.S. have tested positive for avian influenza, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is likely to spread to at least five states. .

U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Confirmed On Friday, cattle in Texas, Kansas and Michigan were infected with the virus, and additional herds in New Mexico and Idaho had presumptive positive results.

it is first time The disease has been found in dairy cows, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The case occurred just a few days later in a herd of young goats. Made a contract Bird flu outbreak on a farm in Minnesota.

Avian influenza It infects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of birds and is often fatal to birds. It can spread from wild birds to poultry and backyard flocks, terrestrial and marine mammals, and humans.

Government officials say the risk to the public from the current outbreak remains low. Most human infections in the past occurred after people were “unprotectedly exposed to sick or dead infected poultry.” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And officials say the strain of the virus detected in Michigan is similar to strains found in Texas and Kansas, and early tests do not show any changes that would make it more transmissible to humans. It has been shown that there is no such thing.

Federal and state officials say the surge in bird flu infections shouldn't have a dramatic impact on dairy consumers.

“Understanding the details of the transmission of avian viruses to livestock is a top priority for animal health experts and agricultural officials,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Said In a statement. “While alarming, this outbreak is not currently expected to threaten our nation's commercial dairy supply.”

There is little impact on consumers so far.

The country's commercial dairy supply is safe, but there are milk recalls. You do not needsays the Department of Agriculture.

The reason is that dairy farms must divert or destroy milk from affected animals, and only milk from healthy cows can be processed for human consumption.

Additionally, the pasteurization required for milk entering interstate commerce kills bacteria and viruses, including influenza.

The Food and Drug Administration says there is limited information available about the transmission of avian influenza from unpasteurized raw milk.agency for a long time warned People are being urged to avoid raw milk, saying it can harbor dangerous bacteria that can make consumers sick.

Federal officials say milk losses from sick dairy cows are too limited to significantly impact commercial supply, which typically increases in the spring as seasonal production increases. do. No increase in dairy prices is expected due to the pandemic, they added.

How regulators and farmers are working to stop the spread

USDA believe The dairy cows have been sickened by a strain called H5N1 (Eurasian goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b), which was likely introduced by wild birds. Pigeons, blackbirds, and grackles were seen on affected Texas farms.

But federal officials have not ruled out the possibility of cow-to-cow transmission. Michigan farms recently received a shipment of cattle from affected Texas farms before the cattle showed signs of illness, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Said Friday.

The USDA said cows with avian influenza at the affected dairy farms “recovered after isolation, and few related deaths were reported.”

Federal and state authorities continue to test samples of sick livestock and unpasteurized milk.

The USDA also requires farmers and their veterinarians to practice “appropriate biosecurity,” including restricting animal movement, testing livestock before moving them, and isolating sick cattle. is recommended.