Cows in Texas, Kansas test positive for bird flu

Cows’ milk tests positive in Texas, Kansas Avian InfluenzaU.S. authorities said on Monday.

Texas Animal Health Commission officials confirmed that the influenza virus is the H5N1 A strain, which has been known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and occasionally infect humans.. Influenza is affecting older dairy cows in these states and New Mexico, causing reduced milk production and appetite.

The notice comes a week after Minnesota officials declared a poultry outbreak at a farm where goats were diagnosed with the virus. The disease, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, is believed to have been first discovered in cattle in the United States.

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Department of Agriculture says commercial milk supply is safe and risk to public is low. Dairies can only supply milk from healthy animals; milk from unhealthy animals is diverted or destroyed. The agency noted that pasteurization also kills viruses and other bacteria and is a process required for all milk sold through interstate commerce.

“At this time, there are no concerns about the safety of the commercial milk supply or the risk this situation poses to consumer health,” the Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

The federal government explained that testing on livestock did not find any changes in the virus that would make it more likely to spread to people..

In Texas, growers began to worry three weeks ago when The cattle began to fall ill due to what authorities called a “mysterious disease in cows.”According to state Agriculture Secretary Sid Miller. Production dropped sharply, cows were lethargic and not eating much.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said. “It’s like they have the flu.”

Experts insist Cattle seem to recover on their own within 7 to 10 days. This is different from outbreaks among poultry, where flocks of animals need to be slaughtered to eliminate the virus. Since 2022, the epidemic has killed approximately 80 million poultry on U.S. commercial farms.

So far, the virus appears to have infected about 10% of the cows in the affected herd, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and biosecurity expert at UC Davis’ Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.