Producers face new testing rules and logistical challenges as worries continue over virus’s threat to country’s dairy herd
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Reuters) — In Michigan this year, where dairy workers and herds have fallen ill from bird flu, a pair of unlikely prized cows are being prepped to take the state fair stage. State fair organizers are this year featuring Milkshake and Buttercup, two life-sized fibreglass cows complete with rubber teats and water-filled […] Read moreTag Archives bird flu — page 4
U.S. finds non-animal exposure bird flu
Glacier FarmMedia – Missouri’s department of health and senior services says a person hospitalized with bird flu was the first human case detected in the United States without known animal exposure. The person, who also had underlying medical conditions, was sent to hospital on Aug. 22 and later tested positive with the H5 avian influenza […] Read more
Avian flu spreads to Calif. dairy cows
Glacier FarmMedia – Cows at three dairy farms in California tested positive for H5N1 avian flu at the end of August, marking an expansion of the virus into the largest dairy-producing region of the United States, the state’s agriculture department has announced. More than 190 herds have been infected across the U.S. since March, along […] Read more
U.S. farmers’ testing refusal skews bird flu count
Dairy producers fear economic losses from positive tests, but health officials call testing key to limiting human spread
WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) — The U.S. avian flu outbreak in dairy cattle is much larger than official figures suggest due to farmers’ reluctance to test their animals and risk the economic consequences of a positive result, according to interviews with dairy experts, veterinarians and farmers in six states with known cases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more
CFIA adds requirements for cattle returning from U.S. due to bird flu
Glacier FarmMedia – Cattle returning from the U.S. after a stay of less than 60 days will require additional certification as bird flu concerns continue. The requirements, which took effect yesterday, require an additional paperwork, including an export certification statement. The statement, to be signed by a veterinarian, requires cattle to have tested negative for […] Read more
U.S. bird flu fight focuses on workers
REUTERS — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week it plans to spend $10 million to curb farm worker bird flu infections, including $5 million for seasonal flu vaccines, as part of its efforts to avoid further spread and mutation of the virus. The ongoing outbreak of bird flu has infected […] Read more
Bird flu unlikely spread by air: study
Avian flu remains a worldwide concern heading into the heat of the Northern Hemisphere summer, although a recent study shows the strain hitting dairy herds in the United States is not easily transmitted through the air. The experiment led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed ferrets infected with a sample of the H5N1 […] Read more
U.S. seeks cause of avian flu spread
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late last month that it will test an additional 155 dairy products to ensure pasteurization eliminates bird flu. Meanwhile, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are trying to figure out what could be driving its spread. In April, the FDA said it found trace amounts of the […] Read more
Farm connections flagged in U.S. dairy bird flu spread
Shared equipment, workers may play roles in interstate spread
Glacier FarmMedia – There are “no smoking guns” to blame for bird flu spread in U.S. dairy cattle, but a number of farm practices may have collectively helped the virus move, according to an expert from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A USDA survey of dairy farms found that, of participating farms in three states, […] Read more
Bird flu spreads in North America, globally
REUTERS — The ongoing U.S. outbreak of avian flu in dairy cattle reached Minnesota last week as the state announced its first infected herd. More than 80 dairy herds have been infected with the virus across 11 states since late March, and three dairy workers have tested positive for the virus. The Minnesota Board of […] Read more
