As rising outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza among California dairy herds threaten both milk production and public health, industry leaders and health officials are now working to control the spread.
Central Valley Outbreaks Spreading faster
The H5N1 bird flu winter reports involving California dairy herds have now become more ominous. As previously reported, the weekend that number rose from 17 to 34 infected dairy herds in the Central Valley.
A spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture said he expected more cases to be announced as testing is performed in coming days and weeks. More than 1,100 dairy herds in California are located mostly in the San Joaquin Valley and their industry faces a serious challenge.
Outbreaks at the impacted dairies have caused disruptions in milk output as the contaminated herds are quarantined and surrograte testing is carried out on nearby dairy farms. California dairy farmers are really worried about the virus and don’t think it’s under control, said Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies, the trade association.&nb…
Developing a Vaccine to Protect Cows
The dairy industry would like to see either a vaccine for cows – to guard against the disease and keep within trade agreements. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing a vaccination for bird flu in bovine; but cautioned that the effort does not indicate that controlling the virus has failed.
According to a USDA statement the bovine vaccine initiative is part of a broader strategy, one which will also include increased biosecurity measures that will prevent further spillover into wildlife populations. They are going down every possible road — the interstate system for bovine testing, paths to improved biosecurity.
While the vaccine could be useful for removing the virus from our dairy cattle herds, it is still only a part of the suite. Indeed, the industry and health officials should be on high alert for implementing a holistic strategy to tackle this emerging concern.
Conclusion
California’s dairy industry and public health officials continue to grapple with ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu that represent a biosecurity threat for agriculture perspectives. The potential for loss in milk production associated to increasing number of infected herds, and the also important issue of viral adaptation to humans are haunting issues. Efforts to create a vaccine that will protect cows, along with improved biosecurity measures within the industry and across sectors are essential to containing the spread and minimising the economic impacts of this outbreak.
