On Monday, March 25, 2024, the Department of Agriculture announced that a form of avian influenza, which was highly fatal in birds, was found in cows in Texas and Kansas. This is the first time that cows have been infected with the virus.
The agency said, “The cows appear to have been infected by wild birds and dead were reported on some farms.” The Texas Health Commission has confirmed H5N1, an influenza subtype, was identified and the virus is similar to the version which is being spread in birds over the nation.
The outcome was announced after many states and federal agencies were beginning to investigate the reports of sick cows in New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas. The virus had mainly affected older cows with symptoms involving fever, a sudden drop in milk, and reduced appetite. Currently, so far, the U.S.D.A. (United States Department of Agriculture) stated, “There had been few or no reports of deaths in the affected herds.” In some of the cases, the virus has been detected in unpasteurized milk samples that were collected from sick cows. Experts say, “Pasteurization should inactivate the flu virus.” Many officials were stressed about the milk supply being safe.
In a statement, the agency stated, “At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health.” Dr. Jim Lowe, an influenza researcher and veterinarian at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stated, “It has only been found in milk that is grossly abnormal.”
