The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as HPAI, was confirmed in a Michigan dairy herd that recently received cattle from Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Friday.
The strain of the virus found in Michigan is similar to strains identified in Texas and Kansas and appears to have been introduced by wild birds, the Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
“The spread of symptoms in Michigan's cattle herds indicates that HPAI transmission among cattle cannot be ruled out,” the USDA said in a statement.
The Agriculture Department said early tests showed no changes in the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.
“Although there is potential for human infection in direct contact with infected animals, this indicates that the current risk to the public remains low,” the agency's statement said.
Idaho officials announced Thursday that avian influenza was detected at a Cassia County dairy farm after importing livestock from another state where HPAI was recently confirmed in cattle. Details were not disclosed.
But state veterinarian Scott Livesl said in an interview that avian influenza was detected in cows in Idaho after the farm imported the cows from its Texas herd. symptoms of H.P.A.I.
“There is no doubt that cow-to-cow transmission is playing a role in the progression of this disease. We don't know yet to what extent,” Leibsl said. He said it was clear that infected wild birds spread the disease to flocks in Texas and Kansas. “But the birds didn't follow the herds of cattle that came into Idaho from Texas,” the state veterinarian said.
Federal authorities are closely monitoring and are encouraging veterinarians and producers to practice proper biosecurity, test animals when movement is necessary, minimize movement of animals, and remove sick cattle. It is advised to isolate them from the herd.
The USDA, Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the disease in dairy cows., This causes decreased milk production, loss of appetite, and other symptoms.
Federal authorities are working with state and local public health officials to monitor people at facilities where bird flu has been detected for signs of illness.
most infected people The animals are recovering after being isolated, and few cattle deaths have been reported, the Department of Agriculture said.
“Not all dairy producers want to wait one, two, three weeks” for their cows to recover, said Mr. Leibsl of Idaho. Some producers may decide to send these animals to slaughterhouses as meat animals, he said.All those cows The same strict food safety protocols apply.
“Because the product is pasteurized before being placed on the market, there continues to be no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this situation poses a risk to the health of consumers,” the USDA statement said. Ta.
Dairy manufacturers must only send milk from healthy animals for processing for human consumption.milk from an infected person The Department of Agriculture said the animals are being diverted or destroyed to prevent them from entering the human food supply.
Additionally, the pasteurization required for milk entering interstate commerce for human consumption inactivates bacteria and viruses such as: Influenza, milk.
Authorities have long warned consumers to avoid raw or unpasteurized milk. The FDA's long-standing position is that unpasteurized milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms and poses serious health risks to consumers.
Because there is limited information available about the transmission of HPAI in raw milk, the FDA is encouraging the dairy industry to treat raw milk from cows showing symptoms of disease, such as avian influenza or infected cows in their herds, or from cows made from raw milk. It advises against manufacturing or selling unpasteurized cheese products.exposed to cows infected with a virus.
