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Diving overview:
The majority of dairy farms with positive avian flu cases had sick animals removed from the farm even though the cows were showing clinical symptoms. U.S. Department of Agriculture reportIt highlights the need for enhanced on-farm biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
not Epidemiological investigation of damaged farms According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, more than 60% of respondents continued to transport animals after showing symptoms of avian flu. As of June 8, more than 54% of all dairy farms with confirmed cases of avian flu on their properties participated in the survey..
Most farms reported sharing equipment, such as trucks and trailers, with other farms to transport cattle, and admitted that in many cases the equipment was not cleaned in between operations. More than a third of dairy employees also work on other farms, increasing the risk of disease transmission, according to a USDA report.
Dive Insights:
The USDA investigation is one of the first in-depth looks at how avian flu is moving through dairy farms across the country, with the department pointing to failures in sanitation and biosecurity procedures that may have contributed to its spread.
Research shows that livestock transport, frequent visits by farm visitors, and sharing of equipment and labor appear to promote transmission more than the presence of wild birds. All farms have documented the presence of some type of wild bird on their property, but the USDA notes there is “no genomic or epidemiological evidence” that these animals are spreading the virus.
The department also noted that other animals on farms, such as cats and poultry, can also increase the risk. Almost every dairy farm that raises poultry has found sick or dead birds. More than 50% of farms with cats found the animals dead or sick.
In Michigan, the state hardest hit by the ongoing dairy outbreak, epidemiologists have found that most connections between dairy and poultry farms reporting cases are in the form of shared people, vehicles and equipment. Separate USDA Report. Most of the biosecurity risks are unavoidable but can be mitigated by increasing biosecurity practices and animal testing.
To advance research and help farms recover from outbreaks, the Michigan Department of Agriculture Up to $28,000 available per farm We are working with federal and state agencies to investigate how the virus was introduced into our activities.
However, not all farms are taking extra steps to monitor and prevent the spread of disease. Despite federal funding being deployed, no farms have signed up for voluntary field milk testing. Politico reportedLess than a dozen farms are applying for financial support in return for strengthening biosecurity measures to contain the virus.
If the H5N1 virus becomes more common in cattle, it could become a persistent presence in the U.S. and could lead to fuel industry disruptions similar to what the poultry sector is experiencing, public health expert and CDC advisor Katelyn Jetelina wrote in a Thursday newsletter. I wrote that there is.
“We are not doing anything to stop the virus,” she said.
According to statistics, since the end of March, more than 100 cases of dairy cattle have been confirmed in 12 states. Online tracker as of June 18. In the past three months, three U.S. farm workers have contracted the virus and recovered.
The spread in cattle continues to raise concerns that the virus could mutate and infect humans. Former CDC Director Robert Redfield said: Interview with NewsNation It is only a matter of time before avian influenza turns into a public health crisis through human-to-human transmission.
““I really think it’s very likely that it’s not a question of if we will have an avian flu epidemic at some point, but rather a question of when we will have an avian flu epidemic,” he told the broadcast network.
