Desperate Measures to Curb Bird Flu: US Dairy Farmers Cut Trees and Ban Visitors

United States dairy farmers are not taking chances in their attempt to contain the spread of bird flu which was recently found to be transmitted to cattle from birds. The farmers have resorted to desperate measures including the cutting down of trees so that wild birds will not find a place to perch. They are also banning visitors and disinfecting vehicles entering their land.

At least seven states have reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd. The latest state to report an outbreak is North Carolina. This is coming after the United States Department of Agriculture confirmed infections in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas.

Previously, transmission between cattle was not known. The USDA said although the first cases in Kansas and Texas were introduced to the dairy herd by wild birds, transmission between cattle was possible. Officials said the infected farms in Ohio and Michigan received cattle from Texas.

“Think of our farm now as a gated community for cows,” Karen Jordan, 64, a farmer who raises 200 dairy cattle in Siler, North Carolina told Reuters. “Only the most essential person can get past the gate.”

Some of the dairy farmers are now exceeding government recommendations in their cleaning procedures to keep their cattle safe from HPAI. Jordan said that even before the outbreak of the disease in North Carolina, she limited visitors who could unknowingly carry bird droppings on their cars or boots. She also chopped down nearly 40 small trees that could harbor wild birds during spring migration.

Impact of bird flu on dairy population

After the confirmation of the first case of bird flu in the dairy herd on March 25, a second human case was confirmed on April 1. This has led to heightened concerns about large-scale spread between humans and animals. Notwithstanding, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to downplay the risk of widescale human infection.

While the virus’ impact on poultry appears to be lethal (often leading to the culling of thousands of birds), cows recover. According to the USDA, the impact of an outbreak on dairy herd primarily affects lactating cows. Infected cows produce lower milk. 

Milk production in the United States grew to nearly $60 billion in 2022. However, dairy farmers now fear that all those gains may be wiped out after the USDA reported bird flu in unpasteurized milk samples. Although the agency said pasteurized milk was safe, there could still be a drop in demand.

Following the expansion of spread last week, futures prices of milk dropped before rebounding. The same happened to beef cattle futures, although there is no confirmed case of the virus in cattle raised for meat.

USDA issues new recommendations for dairy cattle

 So far, the USDA has not issued quarantine orders for infected dairy herds. However, the agency rolled out new recommendations last week including urging farmers to minimize the movement of cattle and the testing of milk samples from lactating cows if they must be moved.

The agency also urged farmers to monitor their herd for illnesses, keep wildlife away from farm buildings, and isolate newly introduced cows to minimize spread. The agency told farmers to adhere strictly to “good milk practices, such as equipment disinfection”. 

Due to the paucity of information on how bird flu is spread in cattle, farmers with open-aired barns are worried about the exposure of their cattle to wild birds. Several affected states have imposed additional shipping requirements to protect their herd.

On April 1, Nebraska started requiring producers to get permits to ship breeding dairy cows into the state. This is to allow officials to better track animal movement. Texas asked farmers to monitor their herd and keep sick animals at home. Kansas, on the other hand, recommended limiting cattle movement without mandating extra restrictions.