Health
Avian flu outbreak confirmed in second dairy herd in northwest Iowa
The Iowa Department of Agriculture announced Friday that the state's second case of avian influenza has been detected in a dairy herd in Sioux County.
The report comes shortly after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Iowans not to drink raw milk because it could be a “consumer transmission vector” for the virus.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture said in a news release that it and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza in northwest Iowa. The previous outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cows was confirmed in neighboring O'Brien County on June 5.
In Iowa and other states, influenza is spreading from infected poultry flocks to cows. Three dairy workers across the United States who had contact with infected cows have been diagnosed with mild bird flu, and Mexico on Wednesday reported the first human death from bird flu in this outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement from the state's Department of Agriculture that the state is asking the federal government for assistance to affected Iowa chicken and dairy farms, as well as to investigate and respond to the disease. Measures include compensation for dairy cows and dairy production losses that are culled due to the disease, and updating poultry compensation schedules “to better reflect the fair market value of affected birds and eggs.” Iowa is the nation's largest egg producer.
Naig also announced a series of state measures.
- Approval for additional epidemiological strike teams to support both poultry and dairy cattle.
- Additional USDA Wildlife Services personnel will be deployed to assist with investigations of avian influenza in wildlife around Iowa poultry and dairy facilities.
- Accelerate funding for research to strengthen and improve strategies to protect livestock from disease.
- Avian influenza tests were conducted at dairy farms near the infected poultry farms.
Naig said the department is also considering “additional requirements for exhibition attendees” with the fair season approaching.
In a statement, Gov. Kim Reynolds supported Gov. Naig's plan for testing on dairy farms and reiterated her call for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, to “prioritize and expedite the approval process for animal vaccines designed to combat diseases that threaten agriculture.”
FDA urges halt to sale of unsafe raw milk
Naig reiterated his call for dairy and poultry producers to “employ comprehensive biosecurity procedures on their farms.” He said no restrictions on milk shipments were planned because pasteurization has been shown to inactivate the influenza virus.
But in a letter sent early Friday, the FDA urged Iowa and about 30 other states that allow the sale of raw or unpasteurized milk to block the distribution of these products “if they pose a potential risk to consumers.”
Reynolds' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter on Friday. The governor signed a bill that will allow small dairies to sell unpasteurized, ungraded milk directly to customers in 2023. The Iowa Legislature approved the bill despite opposition from the Iowa Dairy Farmers Association, the Iowa Dairy Products Association and the Iowa Public Health Association.
The FDA said in a letter on Thursday. Because research and information is limited, it's unclear whether the H5N1 avian influenza virus can infect people who drink raw milk from infected cows, but he added that pasteurization, a process that heats milk to high temperatures to kill harmful microorganisms, “has a long history of protecting public health and is highly effective in eliminating the risks associated with consuming raw milk.”
FDA: Milk from infected cows may contain avian flu virus
Avian flu has hit about 80 dairy farms in 11 states since March. Since the first outbreaks were identified two years ago, 96.8 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been culled nationwide to stop the virus from spreading.
Iowa has lost 23.3 million poultry birds to disease prevention efforts, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
The FDA said there was evidence that infected cows shed the H5N1 virus into their milk, and that any raw milk produced by the infected herds could contain the virus “because it is not pasteurized,” the FDA said.
Officials urge states to test raw dairy cows
Proponents of raw milk argue that it tastes better and has more nutritional value than pasteurized products. Opponents say raw milk can contain bacteria that are dangerous to children and could spark public health epidemics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long warned that raw milk is not safe for children. Recommend not drinking raw milkMilk was once a common source of tuberculosis, and federal law now requires pasteurization of milk used in any product distributed in interstate commerce.
The FDA's recommendation includes warning consumers, asking states to halt sales, and asking states to “implement surveillance testing programs” for dairy herds that produce raw milk for sale.
“Given the current and potential future risks that the HPAI H5N1 virus poses to our nation's public health, as well as the health of our nation's food animals and wildlife, it is important that we work together to minimize further exposure to humans and other animal species,” the agency said.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture said Friday that the state's raw milk law “expressly prohibits” the department from “licensing or regulating raw milk dairy farms.”
Donnell Eller covers agriculture, environment and energy for the Register. Contact him at email address or call 515-284-8457.
Sources 2/ https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2024/06/07/fda-warns-iowans-of-bird-flu-risk-in-raw-milk-from-infected-cows/74015284007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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