It feels like we have had a broken record going around and around during the spring and fall of the past few years. We have talked at length about High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The main difference between the two is that when the virus jumped the species barrier from birds to dairy cattle and humans, we started to call it H5N1. While the effects are not nearly as devastating in cattle or humans, the need to get this disease under control has never been greater.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been pouring resources into finding ways to rid us of the virus causing this disease. From diagnostic labs to the APHIS department, experts are looking at ways to get the situation under tighter control.
United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talks about the situation across the country.
He reiterates that the milk supply is safe, that even the milk from a cow that wasn’t caught until symptoms started to show, has the virus rendered dead by traditional pasteurization methods.
USDA has been working hard to get the situation contained and the disease eradicated.
With the virus jumping to new species, the plans have changed on biosecurity. We are facing a whole new ballgame. Vilsack says that USDA is working to assist farmers with prevention and detection tools.
You can learn more by visiting the USDA website or calling your local USDA field office.
