From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in an Idaho dairy herd.
This is the first 2024 case of HPAI in Idaho cattle. The USDA has also confirmed HPAI’s presence in Texan (7), Kansan (2), Michiganian (1), and New Mexican (1) dairy herds.
The National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, is currently performing confirmatory tests on more cattle from Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas.
APHIS is working closely with the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state veterinary and public health officials, to investigate the illness in cows causing decreased lactation, low appetite and other symptoms.
Although the CDC reported that a Texas citizen tested positive for HPAI A (H5N1) on April 1, the organization still considers HPAI to be of little risk to the public. However, those with prolonged exposure to infected birds and other animals are at greater risk of infection.
Federal and state agencies continue to conduct testing on sick animals and unpasteurized milk samples. There is currently no concern that this illness poses a risk to consumer health or the safety of the commercial milk supply, as products are pasteurized before entering the market.
The FDA’s longstanding position is that unpasteurized, raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that may pose serious health risks to consumers. Considering the HPAI detections, the FDA is reminding consumers of the risks associated with raw milk consumption.
The NVSL has confirmed that the strain of virus is very similar to the one confirmed in Texas and Kansas, which was seemingly transmitted to cattle by wild birds.
Milk loss resulting from symptomatic cattle to date is too limited to have a major effect on supply and there should not affect milk or other dairy products’ pricing. Further, it was reported that the U.S. typically has a more than sufficient milk supply in the spring months due to seasonally higher production.