According to the US Department of Agriculture, at least 80 dairy cows in ten states have contracted bird flu, causing escalating deaths and culling, potentially leading to severe supply chain disruptions and economic strain.
According to the most recent data from the US Department of Agriculture, at least 80 dairy cows in ten states have had bird flu. Concerns over the virus’s escalating death toll in cows and the possibility of farmers having to kill animals to halt its spread are intensifying. This might cause a supply shock and economic strain throughout the agrarian belt.
A USDA spokesman told Reuters that while most cows recovered, herd mortality caused by the H5N1 virus was known to them. The amount of cow deaths in South Dakota, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, and Colorado has not been officially reported.
Further information on the cow fatalities can be found here:
In South Dakota, a 1,700-cow dairy sent a dozen of the animals to slaughter after they did not recover from the virus, and killed another dozen that contracted secondary infections, said Russ Daly, a professor with South Dakota State University and veterinarian for the state extension office who spoke with the farm.
“You get sick cows from one disease, then that creates a domino effect for other things, like routine pneumonia and digestive issues,” Daly said.
A farm in Michigan killed about 10% of its 200 infected cows after they too failed to recover from the virus, said Phil Durst, an educator with Michigan State University Extension who spoke with that farm.
Michigan has more confirmed infections in cattle than any state as well as two of three confirmed cases of US dairy workers who contracted bird flu.
In Colorado, some dairies reported culling cows with avian flu because they did not return to milk production, said Olga Robak, spokesperson for the state Department of Agriculture.
Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesperson Meghan Harshbarger said infected cows have died in Ohio and other affected states, mostly due to secondary infections.
The Texas Animal Health Commission also confirmed that cows have died from secondary infections at some dairy operations with avian flu outbreaks.
Officials could not provide figures for the number of statewide cow mortalities.
New Mexico’s state veterinarian, Samantha Uhrig, said farmers increasingly culled cows due to decreased milk production early in the outbreak, before the US even confirmed bird flu was infecting cattle. Culling decreased as farmers learned that most cows gradually recovered, she said.
-Reuters
The dairy supply chain has been severely hampered since the USDA announced last month that farmers raising dairy cattle are not permitted to move their animals across state lines.
Southern dairy farms that raise baby calves from more northern states until they’re ready to be returned and milked have been impacted the most by delays in shipping when a herd tests positive for the virus, according to Joe Armstrong, a professor of cattle production at the University of Minnesota.
“Some of these systems are built to constantly move animals, and if you can’t move them, you run out of space really fast,” Armstrong said. “This is big money.”
-Bloomberg
Following the USDA’s announcement of increased testing for dairy cows, which is expected to uncover more diseases, shipping delays may become more severe.
“What’s clear is this disease has really slowed down the interstate movement of cattle,” Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) told Bloomberg’s Skye Witley.
Viewed by traders, Chicago milk futures have increased by more than 27% since the beginning of April.
This is a longer-term milk futures timeline.
The culling of cows by farmers and the clogging of supply systems by avian flu could spell disaster for the dairy industry.
Whether the virus spreads from dairy to beef cows is one of the main worries. If so, the nation’s entire herd number has dropped below 1951 levels, and culling beef cows to curb the spread might propel retail prices much higher.
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He sells fake meat as well.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that gain-of-function research, involving organizations like the USDA, CAS, and the Roslin Institute, may explain the recent jump of bird flu, specifically the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, to cows and humans.
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