A number of U.S. businesses stated on Friday that for the primary time, the rampant chicken flu has unfold to dairy cattle. Impacted cows have been discovered throughout a number of states as officers reemphasize the significance of solely consuming pasteurized dairy merchandise. The U.S. Division of Agriculture, Meals and Drug Administration and Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention confirmed the unfold of the the chicken flu, saying they examined sick cattle from dairy farms in Kansas and Texas. These assessments got here again constructive for extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which has been impacting chicken populations in Europe and Asia since August 2020 and “brought about intensive morbidity and mortality occasions” in comparable species throughout the U.S., in accordance with the Fish and Wildlife Service.
This marks the first time the chicken flu has been present in dairy cattle, the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation stated, and the findings got here simply days after the virus was detected in goats on a Minnesota farm. Within the fall, the chicken flu additionally hit the polar bear species for the primary time, killing one of many bears, and it has additionally unfold to marine animals, killing tens of hundreds of seals and sea lions.
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Chicken flu was suspected of impacting U.S. cattle after dairy cows have been discovered to be experiencing “decreased lactation, low urge for food and different signs,” businesses stated in a joint information launch. On March 25, they stated milk samples confirmed two farms in Kansas and one in Texas have been impacted. A swab from one other dairy farm in Texas additionally yielded a constructive consequence, they stated. Chicken flu was later present in a Michigan herd that had just lately acquired cows from Texas, and “presumptive constructive check outcomes have additionally been acquired for added herds in New Mexico, Idaho and Texas,” officers stated. Sure animal species that contract the virus normally accomplish that from consuming sick or contaminated birds. Among the many dairy cows, nevertheless, officers say “transmission between cattle can’t be dominated out” based mostly on reported signs and testing outcomes. Those that personal dairy cattle have been urged to reduce transferring their cattle and check them after they do. Additionally they advisable that sick cows be remoted. How will the chicken flu affect U.S. milk provide? Whereas impacted cattle are experiencing a decline in how a lot milk they produce, the federal government stated that up to now, the milk loss “is just too restricted to have a significant affect on provide.” “There ought to be no affect on the worth of milk or different dairy merchandise,” the businesses stated. “Additional, the U.S. sometimes has a greater than adequate milk provide within the spring months attributable to seasonally increased manufacturing.”
There may be additionally no concern from the businesses that milk within the industrial provide is unsafe. All milk merchandise have to be pasteurized and solely milk from wholesome animals is allowed to be despatched to processing for human consumption, they added. “Milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed in order that it doesn’t enter the human meals provide,” businesses stated. “As well as, pasteurization has regularly confirmed to inactivate micro organism and viruses, like influenza, in milk. FDA’s longstanding place is that unpasteurized, uncooked milk can harbor harmful microorganisms that may pose severe well being dangers to shoppers, and FDA is reminding shoppers of the dangers related to uncooked milk consumption in mild of the HPAI detections.” The unfold of chicken flu to cattle comes simply weeks after Texas cattle ranchers within the panhandle have been devasted by the state’s largest-ever wildfire. Within the wake of the fires, hundreds of useless cows needed to be picked up throughout the scorched area. “Our producers within the Texas Panhandle have already endured sufficient,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller stated, calling the state of affairs “unprecedented.” “The Texas Division of Agriculture will use each useful resource accessible to keep up the excessive requirements of high quality and security that outline Texas agriculture.” Can chicken flu unfold to people? Whereas there have been instances of chicken flu spreading to people, well being officers have stated that these situations stay uncommon.
“Preliminary testing by the Nationwide Veterinary Companies Laboratories has not discovered adjustments to the virus that will make it extra transmissible to people, which might point out that the present danger to the general public stays low,” the USDA, FDA and CDC stated on Friday. “Federal and state businesses are transferring shortly to conduct further testing for HPAI, in addition to viral genome sequencing, in order that we will higher perceive the state of affairs, together with characterization of the HPAI pressure or strains related to these detections.”
Li Cohen
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content material author for CBS Information.