Bird flu detected in CATTLE herds in North Carolina and South Dakota

By oliviacook // 2024-04-23

Mastodon

Parler

Gab

Copy

Authorities in North Carolina and South Dakota have detected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in cattle herds in the two states. While HPAI is often traditionally associated with poultry, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) announced on April 10 that the pathogen had been detected in a herd of the Tar Heel State's cattle. DACS Commissioner Steve Troxler confirmed that tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) returned positive results for the influenza in the dairy herd. "We have spent years developing methods to handle HPAI in poultry," Troxler said in a statement. "But this is new, and we are working with our state and federal partners to develop protocols to handle this situation." The outbreak has led to a suspension of cattle imports from states already affected by bird flu. While the specific location of the affected herd in North Carolina remains undisclosed, state and federal agencies are actively working to manage the situation. On April 9, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) said a dairy herd in the Mount Rushmore State also tested positive for HPAI. The NVSL also conducted the tests on cattle, similar to North Carolina. According to South Dakota State Veterinarian Beth Thompson, state authorities have opted not to disclose the specific county of the outbreak to protect local farmers. The state veterinarian continued that bird flu has managed to afflict a number of other mammals like bears, seals and skunks. This, she remarked, points to "its notorious ability to evolve and affect other species." But Thompson clarified that the currently circulating strain of HPAI has been attributed to migratory wild birds. "We've got birds flying over us right now, and it's hard to say where they're stopping and dropping off their contaminants. It's concerning; our dairies tend be be fairly open-air." (Related: BE AFRAID: A bird flu pandemic could be “100 times worse than COVID,” warn researchers in obvious fear mongering psyop.)

FDA allays the public's fears about milk amid HPAI infections in cattle

Since HPAI was first detected in U.S. cattle in March, the USDA has confirmed the virus in 20 herds across six states – Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas. North Carolina and South Dakota were the two latest additions to the list. According to the USDA, the primary suspicion for the spread of the virus is through wild birds, although transmission between cattle is also possible. Unlike in poultry, where infected flocks often require culling, the USDA does not currently anticipate the need for slaughtering infected cattle. For cattle, the most telling signs of infection are significant drops in milk production, reduced feed and water intake and changes in manure consistency. Temporary production losses have been reported in up to 12 percent of affected milk cows. Despite concerns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assured the public that milk from infected animals is being discarded. It also reiterated that pasteurized milk remains safe for consumption as the process "effectively eliminates the virus." The regulator also mentioned that the outbreak has not yet impacted the national milk supply, explaining how the latter is protected from infected herds. "Only milk from healthy animals is authorized for distribution into interstate commerce for human consumption. Additionally, pasteurization is required for any milk entering interstate commerce. Pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk," the FDA said. "Milk from ill (symptomatic) animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply. Milk loss resulting from symptomatic cattle to date is too limited to have a major impact on supply and there should be no impact on the price of milk or other dairy products." Visit Outbreak.news for more similar stories. Watch Dan Bongino discussing the avian flu outbreak on his program "The Dan Bongino Show" below. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

CITIZENS NEWS

FDA allays the public's fears about milk amid HPAI infections in cattle

More related stories: