Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or fowl flu, was lately detected in a dairy herd in North Carolina, in line with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The avian flu, detected by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL), had already been detected in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, New Mexico, and Ohio.
Movement of cattle from affected herds in these states to North Carolina has been suspended.
By legislation, milk purchased in North Carolina is required to be pasteurized — a course of that might kill fowl flu ought to any milk from an contaminated herd make it into the availability.
Steve Troxler, the state’s agriculture commissioner, mentioned the Food and Drug Administration has “no concern concerning the security or availability of pasteurized milk merchandise nationwide.”
“This is an evolving situation, and we are waiting for more diagnostics from NVSL and will work collaboratively with our federal partners and dairy farmers in North Carolina,” mentioned Troxler. “We have spent years developing methods to handle HPAI in poultry, but this is new and we are working with our state and federal partners to develop protocols to handle this situation.”
Outbreaks of avian flu are being reported across multiple states. The virus can spread to other animals, like cattle.
Dr. Michael Martin, the state veterinarian for North Carolina, said the risk of human infection remains extremely low. Last week, the second case of human infection in the U.S. was recorded after a worker on a dairy farm in Texas tested positive.
“Right now, any milk that’s coming from an infected cow is getting disposed of. And pasteurization of milk is thankfully a standard in the United States and the pasteurization of milk kills all sorts of bugs,” Martin mentioned.
Health officers warn customers to not drink uncooked milk. In North Carolina, the sale of uncooked milk is prohibited.
The state Department of Health and Human Services launched the next assertion in reference to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
Both businesses imagine the general danger to most people stays low. There are not any considerations with the protection of the business milk provide right now as a result of merchandise are pasteurized earlier than coming into the market. People mustn’t devour or put together meals with uncooked or unpasteurized milk.
In March 2022, a poultry farm in Johnston County needed to preventively euthanize about 32,000 turkeys after a constructive pattern inside the flock. The constructive pattern was the primary case of fowl flu in home poultry in North Carolina.
Also in 2022, North Carolina grew to become the primary state to document an occasion of fowl flu spreading to a black bear.
“The animals that are picking this up, like a bear, come across a deceased waterfowl or something, and they consumed it,” mentioned N.C. Wildlife Biologist Greg Batts. “The same could be said for a hawk.”
