DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — A case of bird flu has been detected in another dairy herd in Siouxland.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the USDA announced Friday that a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, was found in a dairy cattle herd in Sioux County. This comes two days after HPAI was reported in a herd in O’Brien County.
In response, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is preparing additional measures and requesting resources from the USDA.
“[HPAI] continues to pose a significant threat to our livestock and the livelihoods of the farmers that care for them,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said. “Our team remains in daily communication with USDA, other states, farm organizations and industry stakeholders and we will be continually evaluating our response steps as new information arises. This is going to take the entire agricultural community working together because we all have a stake in protecting the herds and flocks of Iowa.”
According to a release, Naig is requesting the following from the USDA to assist farmers:
- Provide compensation for cull dairy cattle at fair market value.
- Provide compensation for lost milk production at a minimum of 90 percent of fair market value.
- Revise poultry indemnity tables to better reflect the fair market value of the impacted birds and/or eggs.
- Present a streamlined and timely process for farmers to be compensated for lost production and to receive indemnity.
At the state level, the following response efforts are planned in Iowa:
- Authorize additional epidemiological strike teams to assist with both poultry and dairy in Iowa.
- Provide additional USDA Wildlife Services personnel to assist in the surveying of disease in wildlife around Iowa poultry and dairy facilities.
- Accelerate funding for research to strengthen and enhance producer mitigation strategies.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will also expand current testing protocols to include dairy farms around infected poultry sites. Testing was already done for poultry, but according to the release, this update will “provide a better understanding of the possible spread of the virus and allow the Department to enhance its response capabilities.”
Milk shipments are not planned to be affected because there is no concern about the safety of pasteurized milk and dairy products.
Poultry producers are asked to watch their flocks for any signs of HPAI and to contact their veterinarian and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship if necessary. Signs of HPAI include the following:
- Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs
- Lethargy and/or lack of energy and appetite
- Decrease in egg production
- Soft, thin-shelled and/or misshapen eggs
- Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks
- Purple/blue discoloration of the wattles, comb, and legs
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing, sneezing, and/or nasal discharge (runny nose)
- Stumbling and/or falling down
- Diarrhea
Poultry producers and dairy farmers are encouraged to increase their biosecurity practices to help protect their flocks and herds.
As the bird flu also affects dairy cattle, dairy producers are asked to also watch for signs of sickness and reach out to their herd veterinarian and officials if they see any of the following signs in their cattle:
- Decrease in food consumption with a simultaneous decrease in rumination
- Clear nasal discharge
- Drop in milk production
- Tacky or loose feces
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Thicker, concentrated, colostrum-like milk
There were two cases of dairy workers in Texas and Michigan who contracted the disease, but the CDC said the threat to humans remains low.
More information about HPAI can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website.
Wesley Thoene contributed to this report.