With 100 million birds dead, the poultry industry may set an example for dairy farmers to tackle avian flu

Des Moines, Iowa — The U.S. dairy industry Bird flu outbreakthe number of reported cases is Dozens of farms And illness Spread to the peopleThe egg industry may serve as an example of how to slow the disease's progression, but it shows how difficult it can be to eradicate. virus.

There have been bird flu outbreaks in the United States before, but this latest outbreak began in February 2022. forced the massacre About 100 million chickens and turkeys are contaminated, and although hotspots still exist, they are becoming less frequent thanks to on-farm biosecurity measures and coordinated efforts between companies and agricultural authorities, experts say.

Dairy Farmer We can try to implement similar safety measures, but the vast differences between animals and industry limit what lessons can be learned and applied.

The disease is commonly referred to as avian flu because it is spread primarily by wild birds, which can survive the infection. Many mammals, including sea lions and skunks, also suffer from the disease.

Animals can become infected by eating infected poultry or by being exposed to an environment where the virus is present, but there are big differences in how cattle and chickens progress after they become infected.

Avian flu is usually fatal to chickens and turkeys within days of infection, leading to the immediate culling of large numbers of birds, but not to cattle.

Dairy farms in some states have reported having to cull infected animals because symptoms persisted and milk production didn't recover, but that's not the norm, said Russ Dailey, a veterinary assistant professor at South Dakota State University.

He said bird flu is not usually fatal to cows, but infected animals can become more susceptible to other diseases common on dairy farms, such as bacterial pneumonia and udder infections.

Egg operators have become clean freaks.

To prevent the spread of the disease, egg producers require workers to shower and change into clean clothing before entering houses and again when they leave, and they frequently wash trucks and spray tires with a solution to kill any remaining virus.

Many poultry farms use lasers or install special fencing to keep wild birds from visiting.

“The days of the scarecrow are over,” said Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Association.

Without these efforts“If that were the case, the current outbreak would be much worse,” said Jada Thompson, a professor at the University of Arkansas College of Agriculture and Business, “but even if the costs of introducing disease into your business are that high, it's hard to maintain that kind of vigilance.”

Broiler chickens, chickens raised for meat, have also been infected with avian flu, but such cases are less common, in part because broilers are culled at just six to eight weeks of age, giving them a short window of opportunity to become infected.

Yes and no.

Dairy farms can certainly reduce the spread of the disease by limiting access to animal pens and making sure people and equipment don't bring the virus in from elsewhere. Workers can also protect themselves by wearing safety glasses, aprons and gloves, but this can't be avoided with larger animals because they get dirty so easily.

“Parlours are warm, humid spaces that produce a lot of fluid splashing – urine, feces, water, and sometimes cows kick the milking machines, splashing milk all over the place,” says Keith Paulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Laboratory.

Also, dairy farms do not have the time or manpower to disinfect milking equipment after each milking of an animal, so the equipment can become contaminated. Sterilization It kills bacteria and viruses in milk, making it safe for humans to drink.

Paulsen said the dairy industry could follow the path set by the poultry and pork industries and set up more formal, better-funded research institutes to respond to problems like avian flu more quickly or avoid them altogether.

The dairy industry can also limit the spread of disease by restricting the interstate movement of dairy cows, Paulsen said.

USDA to begin testing soon vaccine Feeding this to calves helps protect the animals and also reduces the chance of illness for workers.

The egg industry also hopes that researchers can develop a quick, cheap and effective vaccine for poultry. While workers can't inject millions of chickens that might need it, industry officials hope they could apply the vaccine in the water chickens drink, in the pellets they feed, or even before they hatch from eggs.

Thompson said vaccine efforts are even more important now that the disease has spread to dairy cows and even some humans.

“What we're developing now is a way to vaccinate people in a cost-effective way that's resistant to the disease,” Thompson said.