USDA: Expect more cases of bird flu in dairy cattle

The H5N1 avian flu virus has been confirmed in 121 dairy herds to date and more infected herds are sure to be found as the search continues, said a USDA official on Monday as the outbreak in cattle entered its fourth month. The early summer heat wave will discourage farmworkers from wearing the full set of personal protective equipment recommended by health officials, said the dairy industry.

“We expect that we’ll see additional cases over the next few weeks as we do more testing,” said Julie Gauthier, of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service during a webinar hosted by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. “That’s to be expected.”

The USDA is encouraging farmers to enroll in a voluntary program for weekly tests of milk samples taken from bulk coolers on dairy farms. In exchange, farmers would be free to transport lactating cows across state lines without having to test their cows beforehand, so long as the weekly tests are negative. Four herds — one each in Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas — have signed up for the so-called herd status program since enrollment opened on June 3.

“So, next steps: Enrolling herds in the herd status program, encouraging them to come on board,” said Gauthier, APHIS executive director of field operations. “We’re also hoping the ELAP program, which is being rolled out soon [and] will pay for milk loss associated with being an infected farm, will encourage herds to test and figure out what their status is.”

The Emergency Livestock Assistance Program compensates producers for losses due to disease and bad weather. There is no limit on the amount of money paid to a producer but eligibility is limited to people with less than $900,000 in adjusted gross income annually, said a USDA fact sheet.

The government’s handling of bird flu in dairy cattle has been criticized for testing too few herds and for inadequate monitoring of dairy farmworkers. Three dairy workers have contracted mild cases of bird flu from cattle since the H5N1 virus was identified on March 25 as the cause of a mysterious illness in dairy herds in the Texas panhandle. The USDA requires farmers to test lactating cows for the virus before moving them across state lines.

“The CDC recommendations of full PPE [personal protective equipment] for workers, probably we’re not going to be able to implement that on farms,” said Jamie Jonker, chief scientific officer at the National Milk Producers Federation. “When you think about how the weather has been very recently in large portions of the country, being in full PPE, you start getting a potential worker safety issue of overheating.”

Instead, Jonker said “we’re focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth as as the place we need to focus our efforts in the dairy sector based upon current knowledge.” The dairy industry already recommends use of goggles in milking parlors.

Gloves, masks, face shields, and disposable coveralls are other means to prevent infection. Testing has found a high viral count in raw milk from infected cows. Conjunctivits, also called pink eye, was a common symptom among the three farmworkers who became ill with bird flu.