USDA: No Quarantines or Depopulation for Cattle Herds with Avian Influenza

USDA has confirmed avian influenza in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio and New Mexico. At this point in time, veterinary officials are not putting mandatory quarantines around those dairies.

Dr. Rosemary Sifford with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says there are also no plans right now to depopulate cattle in herds with confirmed bird flu infections.

“So far, it appears that the cattle are able to recover after a couple of weeks go back into the milking herd and so at this point, we do not expect the need to depopulate cattle. “

Dairy operators across the country are being asked to step up their biosecurity efforts and to watch their cows for symptoms of avian influenza.

“The primary symptoms in dairy cattle are loss of appetite going off feed and then a dramatic drop in milk production,” Sifford says. “Some of the cattle occasionally showed a slight fever.”

If you see those symptoms in your herd, Sifford urges you to contact your vet right away.

Source: USDA Radio