O’Brien County dairy farm now the first herd of cows in Iowa to see a case of the bird flu – KGAN TV

O'Brien County dairy farm now the first herd of cows in Iowa to see a case of the bird flu

by Iowa's News Now

{p}The first case of bird flu in Iowa cows has been detected in a dairy herd in O'Brien County. A test for final confirmation of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) case is currently pending at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames.{/p}{p}The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) made the announcement in a press release on Wednesday.{/p}{p}While it's the first dairy farm to be affected in Iowa, more than 80 HPAI cases have hit dairy farms in South Dakota, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado.{/p}

O'Brien County

The first case of bird flu in Iowa cows has been detected in a dairy herd in O'Brien County. A test for final confirmation of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) case is currently pending at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) made the announcement in a press release on Wednesday.

While it's the first dairy farm to be affected in Iowa, more than 80 HPAI cases have hit dairy farms in South Dakota, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado.

Officials say the genome sequencing of the virus found at a Sioux County egg farm last week was consistent with the variant that's been found in dairies in other states. Sequencing for the virus detected in the O'Brien County dairy herd and a turkey flock in Cherokee County isn't complete yet, but epidemiologists are investigating how the virus was introduced in those cases.

HPAI is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations as well as lactating dairy cattle. HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. With supportive care, dairy cattle recover with little to no mortality associated with the disease.

If dairy producers suspect cases of HPAI, they should contact their herd veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305. USDAs federal order regulating the interstate movement of lactating dairy cattle remains in effect.

Clinical signs of HPAI in dairy may include:

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is strongly encouraging Iowa poultry producers and dairy farmers to bolster their biosecurity practices and protocols to protect their flocks and herds. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has biosecurity recommendations for dairy herds to utilize. In addition, the Department has numerous other biosecurity resources for poultry producers and livestock farms to reference on its website. Farmers or farm workers who interact regularly with both dairy and poultry or who interact frequently with other farm workers in poultry or dairy, should take extra precautions to limit possible transmissions.

Suspected Cases in Poultry

If poultry producers or those with backyard birds suspect signs of HPAI, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

Clinical signs of HPAI in birds may include:

It remains safe to enjoy poultry products. As a reminder, consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165F. It is a longstanding practice that only milk from healthy animals may enter the food supply. There is no concern about the safety of pasteurized milk or dairy products. Pasteurization has continually proven to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

Though recent cases of HPAI were confirmed in dairy workers in Texas and Michigan, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to believe the threat to the general public remains low. Any questions related to public health should be directed to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services at alex.murphy@hhs.iowa.gov. There are no known human cases in Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says it plans to announce more response measures soon.

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O'Brien County dairy farm now the first herd of cows in Iowa to see a case of the bird flu - KGAN TV