In an investigation into mysterious diseases in dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico, checks on unpasteurized milk and nasal swabs have revealed extremely pathogenic avian flu in Kansas and Texas, in keeping with an announcement right this moment from the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service (APHIS).
The cow’s signs included decreased milk manufacturing, low urge for food, and different signs. APHIS mentioned the infections have been primarily seen in older dairy cows. The brand new growth comes lower than per week after Minnesota veterinary officers detected H5N1 avian flu in child goats at a farm the place the virus had been detected in a yard poultry flock.
The Texas Division of Agriculture mentioned right this moment that the illness has been working its method by means of the Texas panhandle, puzzling the agriculture business. It mentioned the cows had flulike signs, together with fever and thick and discolored milk.
Sporadic outbreaks proceed to be reported in US poultry flocks, together with quite a few H5N1 detections in a wide range of wild birds throughout many states.
Useless wild birds discovered on farms
Together with the unidentified diseases, the farms had additionally reported useless wild birds on the properties. The virus was present in milk samples from sick cows at two dairy farms in Kansas and Texas and in an oropharyngeal pattern from one other dairy in Texas.
“Based mostly on findings from Texas, the detections seem to have been launched by wild birds,” APHIS mentioned, including that preliminary testing by the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, have discovered no modifications that may make the virus extra transmissible in people.
Further testing and sequencing are underneath technique to characterize the virus and to establish what pressure or strains are concerned.
No human well being dangers or menace to take advantage of provide
APHIS emphasised that up to now there are not any issues for the nation’s milk provide or that the findings pose a menace to human well being.
“Dairies are required to ship solely milk from wholesome animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed in order that it doesn’t enter the meals provide,” APHIS mentioned. “As well as, pasteurization has frequently confirmed to inactivate micro organism and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Pasteurization is required for any milk getting into interstate commerce.”
On affected farms, the sickness has affected about 10% of animals, with little or no mortality and milk loss that’s too restricted to have a serious impression on the nation’s milk provide.
APHIS mentioned federal officers are working with state and business officers to rapidly report cattle diseases.
Sid Miller, Texas’ agriculture commissioner, mentioned that, not like for poultry, he would not foresee a have to depopulate cattle herds. “Cattle are anticipated to completely recuperate,” he mentioned.
