Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Avian flu infects more dairy cattle


 

The United States Department of Agriculture said more cases of dairy cattle infected with highly-pathogenic avian influenza are turning up.


To date, 12 cases have been confirmed in dairy cattle in five states, it said. 


There are four cattle in Texas, two in Kansas, one each in Michigan and New Mexico and Idaho State Department of Agriculture said it has one.


The Idaho farm had bought an animal from an infected herd in Texas.

Veterinarian Fred Gingrich who is executive director for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), said the virus identified in affected dairy cows is the same virus that has affected the U.S. poultry industry since 2022.

“The assumption is the initial herds were affected by wild migratory birds,” Gingrich told Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk.