Michigan: Bird Flu Is Spreading, Is It Expected To Impact Dairy?
Unfortunately, Michigan is going through an outbreak of bird flu. According to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the “highly pathogenic avian flu” (HPAI) has infected more Michigan dairy farms only three weeks after it first spread to cattle.
What Michigan counties are impacted by the bird flu outbreak?
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced in early April that the bird flu was detected in three commercial farms in Ionia, Isabella, and Ottawa counties. This brings the total number of infected Michigan dairy herds to four after the flu was confirmed at a Montcalm County farm in late March.
“What is happening with HPAI in Michigan, mirrors what is happening in states across the country. This virus does not stop at county or state lines, which is why we must all be on high alert. This news is unfortunate and upsetting for our poultry and dairy farming families and communities,” said Director Tim Boring in a news release.
Bird flu outbreaks outside of Michigan
In late March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the avian flu had spread to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas through wild birds. To date, USDA has confirmed the detection of HPAI in dairy herds in Texas (7) Kansas (2), Michigan (1), and New Mexico (1).
According to the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease and Prevention, the commercial milk supply remains safe due to federal animal health requirements and pasteurization. Federal experts continue to stress there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses any increased risk to consumer health.
They said that the analysis of the virus from this case and the other cases of affected cattle has not shown any “significant new adaptation” to make the virus more transmissible between mammals. The public health risk associated with HPAI remains low, they added.
In Michigan, state law requires pasteurization for any milk sold in stores. Pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.
H5N1 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows. One recent human case in a U.S. dairy worker, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposure. CDC is using its flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5N1 activity in people.
HPAI is a highly contagious virus in birds and poultry that can be spread directly by infected wild birds or animals or indirectly through any item that has been exposed to the virus, such as equipment, feed, or the clothing and shoes of caretakers.
According to the CDC, the virus has been detected in various species of mammals, presumably after the animals come into contact with infected birds. The affected premises voluntarily stopped movement to limit the spread of the disease.
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