A likely case of bird flu was identified in the Wood County cattle herd earlier last month.
Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) detected cases of bird flu in cattle received from Texas. In a press meeting on Tuesday, April 2, ODA said that they found highly pathogenic avian influenza in an Ohio dairy cattle herd. A spokesperson for the health department added that they have been waiting for a confirmation from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Found in Diary Cattle in Northwest Ohio
State and federal agencies are investigating the cases of bird flu and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have confirmed the presence of the virus in dairy cattle in various states.
While there are no reported cases in Ohio, several cases have been reported in, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Idaho, and Michigan. Furthermore, infected goats were found in Minnesota.
Following the Tuesday announcement, farmers are advised to keep an eye on their cattle, especially if they are showing any symptoms like lack of appetite. One of the known carriers of the virus is migratory birds. However, it is yet to be determined how the transmission took place.
Dr. Jamie Jonker, Chief Science Officer for the National Milk Producers Federation, said: “It may be in the birds’ fecal matters.” He further added that the Ohio farmers are asked to check their cows from time to time for symptoms like diarrhea, lack of appetite, or decreased lactation. The farmers are also requested to keep the security measures updated and in place.
Though the news has been creating major concern among dairy consumers, experts have declared that the illness will not impact the milk as it is only supplied after a process called pasteurization, which generally kills any virus present in milk. the affected cows are also removed from the supply to ensure nobody is taking a chance with their health.
Jonker further reassured the consumers that such viruses are non-transferrable from animals to people. “The milk from the animals that are diagnosed with bird flu is separated,” he remarked, while also explaining the purpose of what is called Pasteurized Milk Ordinance that has been in practice for the last 100 years, to make sure abnormal milk, or milk from a sick cow is separated.
Also, he explained how each dairy farm is inspected several times a year by the State Department of Public Health, and the State Department of Animal Health to make sure everything is in place.
Unlike how the same virus causes death in chickens, it does not appear to have the potential to kill a cow. In most cases, affected cows recover from the illness.
Read More: Mystery Cow Disease: Verified As Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
The early detection was made on March 8, when the dairy operation in Wood County identified affected cows. Immediately after that, safety measures were taken by the authority, and the officials were notified every time a cattle displayed abnormal behavior.
After the Texas case, new cases of the pathogenic avian influenza were identified in dairy cattle herds in Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico. Additional tests are being conducted by the federal and state agencies using unpasteurized milk samples from sick animals, to spot more affected cattle. Among the tested milk samples, 10% turned out to be affected. However, the death of a cow was not reported in conjunction with these detections.