'Test animals before movement': Bird flu in Kansas cattle milk

KANSAS (KSNT) - U.S. agriculture officials say dairy cattle must be tested before moving between states.

On Monday, March 25, milk samples from sick cows were collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and another in Texas. These samples tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) which is also known as the bird flu. At that time officials said there was no risk of the virus being spread to humans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Since then, two farmworkers have been infected with the bird flu. Officials said that samples from a cow in Kansas showed that the virus could be adapting to more animals. The virus has now been detected in nearly three dozen herds in eight states, according to the USDA.

In Kansas, four herds have been affected by the virus, according to the FDA. Michael Watson, an administrator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said he believes the agency can do tens of thousands of tests each day.

“The risk to humans remains low,” said Dawn O'Connell of the Federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

Starting Monday, April 29, all lactating cows must post a negative test result before moving to another state.

HPAI is a highly contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys, and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture. This outbreak has seen illness and mortality in a wider scope of bird species than past outbreaks, including wild and domestic waterfowl.

If you see these symptoms in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact the KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006. The KDA also updates its website with areas where HPAI is detected.

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