The agriculture industry has been perplexed by a mysterious disease that was plaguing dairy cows in Kansas, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle, which is now detected. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller received confirmation from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that the mystery sickness is a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). According to the USDA, afflicted dairy cows don’t seem to be spreading the virus to other animals in the same herd.
HPAI Detected In Texas
As of March 25, clinical samples of unpasteurized milk from sick cattle have been collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas; also, an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas tested positive for the virus, according to the USDA. On March 22 and during the weekend, more testing was started because farms have also reported discovering dead wild birds on their grounds. Results from Texas suggest that wild birds may have imported the detections. The spokesperson of the state’s animal health condition said that they started an investigation that included the bird flu tests. The test results hint at the chances of the virus from the infected birds. New Mexico has also reported similar symptoms in dairy cows but is not confirmed as HPAI.
According to USDA, to gain a better understanding of the situation, including the characterization of the HPAI strain or strains linked to these detections, federal and state agencies are working swiftly to carry out more HPAI tests as well as viral genome sequencing. Meanwhile, commissioner Miller has emphasized that their top priority amid the new hurdle is to protect Texas’s producers and food safety. Additionally, he stated that the Texas Department of Agriculture will employ all available means to uphold the standards of quality and safety that characterize Texas agriculture.
Miller also clarified that there is no threat to the public and ensured the prevention of supply shortages. He confirmed that no contaminated milk had entered the food chain as they had been dumped. Further, Miller stated that whether some contaminated milk enters the food chain, it would be detoxified by pasteurization.
Is This A High-Path Influenza In Birds?
Currently, Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and biosecurity specialist with the University of California-Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, estimates that 10% of the nursing dairy cows in the impacted herds are infected with the virus. He has confirmed that the virus doesn’t look like any high-path influenza in birds.
Unpasteurized clinical milk samples from sick cattle were obtained from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas. It was in these samples that HPAI was found. A throat and nose sample from a different Texas dairy also had the pathogen.
Officials described it as a quickly changing scenario. Along with representatives from the three states, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved in the prevention process. Iowa, a state with a large dairy industry, is keeping an eye on the matter.
Symptoms Of HPAI
The common symptoms seen in the HPAI-infected cattle are similar to those of the flu. They exhibit symptoms like fever, thick and discolored milk, and a reduction in the production of milk. Officials confirmed a sharp reduction in the quantity of milk ranging from 10-30 pounds per cow. Herds that are severely affected may lose up to 40% of their milk output for 7–10 days until symptoms go away, which has a continuing economic impact on the facility.
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The National Diary FARM Program (NDFP) has released several guidelines on the current scenario. The dairy producers who observe clinical signs in their herds are asked to report it to a veterinarian. Veterinarians who observe such clinical signs and have ruled out other diagnoses should submit a complete set of samples to a diagnostic laboratory.