Herd Health

Second Michigan Farmworker Tests Positive For H5N1 Virus

Thu, 30 May 2024 21:40:19 GMT

A second human case of HPAI (H5N1) was confirmed in a Michigan farmworker on Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is the third human case (two in Michigan, one in Texas) associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of H5N1 in U.S. dairy cows. In all three cases, cow-to-person spread is suspected but none of the cases is related.

Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, says government officials are working closely with producers to understand the scale of the virus in dairy operations across the state.

“We’re learning more every day about the epidemiology of this virus and just how it spreads. I think it’s a manageable situation on the dairy side for us right now, but we have continued concerns around just how we can best mitigate the further spread,” Boring told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Thursday, prior to the CDC’s latest announcement.

Boring reports that Michigan has confirmed the virus in 23 dairies, primarily in the west-central part of the state.

The virus had been confirmed in at least 66 dairy herds in nine states earlier this week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: 20 herds in Michigan, 15 in Texas, eight in New Mexico, nine in Idaho, four in Kansas, four in Colorado, four in South Dakota and one each in Ohio and North Carolina.

Biosecurity Practices Are Helping
The H5N1-infected farm workers were not wearing a face shield or other personal protective equipment (PPE), according to Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive of Michigan’s health department.

That “tells us that direct exposure to infected livestock poses a risk to humans, and that PPE is an important tool in preventing spread among individuals who work on dairy and poultry farms,” said Bagdasarian, in a prepared statement.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains the public health risk from H5N1 is low, the agency encourages the use of its recommended precautions by people exposed to infected or potentially infected birds and animals.

The use of good biosecurity measures is helping contain the virus and prevent its spread, Boring emphasizes.

“These biosecurity systems work; pasteurization works,” Boring says. “The screening to make sure that we don’t have infected animals of any kind with any disease making it into the food system works.

“As the FDA has talked about, this continues to be a communicable virus and where this continues to move – potentially further impacting human health down the road – is a real concern,” Boring adds. “That continues to be a driving force for us to address the virus on the animal side.”

Vaccine Development
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced officials are moving forward with a plan to produce 4.8 million doses of an H5N1 vaccine for human use.

According to an article in Reuters , human exposures to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk that the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily in people.

The article noted that the U.S. and Europe are “taking steps to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines that could be used to protect at-risk poultry and dairy workers, veterinarians and lab technicians, government officials said, moves influenza experts say could curb the threat of a pandemic.”

H5N1 Virus Found in Beef for First Time, FSIS Says

FSIS’ Final Results of H5N1 Testing Confirms Meat Supply is Safe

The complete conversation between Michigan’s Boring and AgriTalk Host Chip Flory is available here:

Asian Longhorned Tick Now Found in 19 States

Wed, 08 May 2024 13:08:21 GMT

Ticks are an issue beef and dairy producers and veterinarians contend with every year. But not all ticks warrant the description USDA offers for the Asian longhorned tick – “invasive pests that pose a serious threat to livestock.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in April 2023 that Asian longhorned ticks (ALT) have been found in 19 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

When Bovine Veterinarian (a Farm Journal publication) first reported on ALT (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in 2022, it was in 17 states.

Since then, Indiana and Massachusetts have been added to the list.

ALTs Like To Feed On Cattle
The ticks, which originated in East Asia, feed on many hosts, including beef and dairy cattle. Large numbers of ALTs can infest a single host, impacting growth, performance and milk production.

ALT also carry Theileria orientalis (Ikeda genotype), a protozoal organism that causes disease in cattle by infecting red blood cells.

In some regions of New Zealand and Australia, for instance, the tick can reduce production in dairy cattle by an estimated 25%.

In extreme cases, an infestation of ALT can cause bovine deaths, due to blood loss.

An Ohio State University (OSU) assistant professor in veterinary preventive medicine, Risa Pesapane, found that to be the case in 2021. A farmer called OSU to report three of his 18 cattle, heavily infested with the ticks, had died.

“One of those was a healthy male bull, about 5 years old. Enormous. To have been taken down by exsanguination by ticks, you can imagine that was tens of thousands of ticks on one animal,” said Pesapane, in a press release developed by Emily Caldwell, OSU staff writer.

‘Huge Numbers’ Are Often Found
An analysis published in the Journal of Medical Entomology reveals that scientists gathered nearly 10,000 ticks in roughly 90 minutes in the Ohio cow pasture. As a result, Pesapane estimated there were more than 1 million ALT in the roughly 25-acre pasture.

“Where the habitat is ideal, and anecdotally it seems that unmowed pastures are an ideal location, there’s little stopping them from generating these huge numbers,” she said.

One of the factors that make the ALT so difficult to control is the females can reproduce asexually. Researchers say each female can lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website says “it only takes a single Asian longhorned tick to create a population in a new location.”

Target Control Methods Early
Despite applications of pesticides, the ALTs were still present in the Ohio pasture in 2022, the following year, making them what Pesapane called a “long-term management problem.”

“For a variety of reasons, I tell people you cannot spray your way out of an Asian longhorned tick infestation – it will require an integrated approach,” Pesapane said in the news release.

“It would be wisest to target them early in the season when adults become active, before they lay eggs, because then you would limit how many will hatch and reproduce in subsequent years,” she added.

To learn more about how to control ALT, producers and veterinarians can tap into these two resources:

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners addresses control of ALTs in its Have You Herd podcast, which is available here .

Virginia Cooperative Extension offers the online resource, “Managing the Asian Longhorned Tick: Checklist for Best Management Practices for Cattle Producers.”

US to Test Ground Beef in States With Bird-Flu Outbreaks in Dairy Cows

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:59:33 GMT

The U.S. government said on Monday it is collecting samples of ground beef at retail stores in states with outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows for testing but remains confident the meat supply is safe.

Federal officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds in nine states since late March, and in one person in Texas.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have said the overall public health risk is low, but is higher for those with exposure to infected animals.

Scientists believe outbreaks are more widespread in cows than officially reported based on findings of H5N1 particles in about 20% of milk samples. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that preliminary results of gold-standard PCR tests showed pasteurization killed the bird flu virus in milk, though.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will analyze retail ground beef samples with PCR tests that indicate “whether any viral particles are present,” according to a statement. Some
dairy cows are processed into ground beef when they grow old.

The USDA on Monday began requiring lactating dairy cows to test negative for bird flu before being moved across state lines as officials seek to contain the virus.

The department said this weekend that testing is not required for cows that are shipped over state lines directly to slaughter facilities from barns where they are sold. Those
cattle only need documentation showing they were inspected by a veterinarian.

The USDA said it inspects each animal before slaughter, and all cattle carcasses must pass inspection after slaughter to enter the human food supply.

Last week USDA said it had found bird flu in a lung tissue sample from an asymptomatic dairy cow that was sent to slaughter from an infected herd. The animal did not enter the food supply, according to the department.

The USDA is now collecting beef muscle samples at slaughter facilities of dairy cattle that have been condemned to determine the presence of viral particles, according to the statement. Any positive PCR tests for retail or slaughter samples will be evaluated for live virus, the USDA said.

The USDA will also use a “virus surrogate” in ground beef and cook it at different temperatures to determine how the virus is affected, according to the statement. It said cooking meat to a safe internal temperature kills bacteria and viruses

Colombia restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according to the USDA.

There are no known cases of bird flu in beef cattle so far.

The human case in the current outbreak was in a Texas farm worker who suffered conjunctivitis following exposure to dairy cows.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita Choy)

H5N1 Mandatory Testing For Interstate Movement Of Dairy Cattle In Effect

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:28:25 GMT

Effective today, the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) federal order
requires mandatory testing for the interstate movement of dairy cattle.

The following information and direction are from the HPAI Detections in Livestock Page :

Prior to interstate movement, dairy cattle are required to receive a negative test for Influenza A virus at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory.

Owners of herds in which dairy cattle test positive for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracing.

Dairy cattle moving interstate must adhere to conditions specified by APHIS.

USDA-APHIS says these steps are immediately required for lactating dairy cattle, “while these requirements for other classes of dairy cattle will be based on scientific factors concerning the virus and its evolving risk profile.”

Mandatory Reporting Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A nucleic acid detection diagnostic results (e.g. PCR or genetic sequencing) in livestock to USDA APHIS.

Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A serology diagnostic results in livestock to USDA-APHIS.

USDA-APHIS will provide reimbursement for testing at NAHLN labs, including samples submitted for:
(1) dairy cattle suspected of disease due to clinical signs,
(2) pre-movement testing,
(3) producers interested in the disease status of their asymptomatic animals, and
(4) samples taken from other animals on dairies associated with this disease event.

USDA Now Requiring Mandatory Testing and Reporting of HPAI in Dairy Cattle as New Data Suggests Virus Outbreak is More Widespread

A Message to the Ag Industry about H5N1

Properly Prepared Beef Remains Safe; Meat Institute Calls For Guidance to Protect Workers at Beef Facilities

HPAI Now Detected on Ohio Dairy: Strange Bird Flu Concerns See Growth

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:03:23 GMT

Ohio has become the sixth state where dairy cattle have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. A recent news release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) reports presumptive positive results from dairy cows in Wood County.

According to officials, the cows arrived in Wood County on March 8 from a dairy in Texas. That dairy later reported a confirmed case of HPAI. The Ohio dairy operation alerted state officials when the livestock began showing signs of illness. State officials are awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We have official confirmation that we do have a case at a dairy in Wood County of HPAI, which is an influenza,” says ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “We’ve been working with this in the poultry industry for about the last two-and-a-half years and it has found its way into the dairy industry. We are working diligently with the dairy, with their vets and with our Animal Health division and our state veterinarian, Dr. (Dennis) Summers, on this issue.

According to the USDA, HPAI has now been detected in five other states, including:

Texas
Kansas
New Mexico,
Idaho
Michigan

“Clinically sick dairy cattle from affected herds range from 1% to 20%, with an average of 10% of the milking herd affected. There are no confirmed reports of death loss in dairy cattle directly attributed to these detections. Most sick cows begin recovering within a few days.”

“Federal and state agencies continue to conduct additional testing from sick animals and in unpasteurized clinical milk samples from sick animals, as well as viral genome sequencing, to assess whether HPAI or another unrelated illness may be underlying any symptoms,” the ODA reports.

The agency notes that clinically sick dairy cattle from affected herds range from 1% to 20%, with an average of 10% of the milking herd affected. Currently, there are no confirmed reports of death loss in dairy cattle directly attributed to these detections with most sick cows recovering within a few days.

HPAI symptoms in dairy cattle include:

Sudden drop in milk production.
Some severely impacted cows are producing thicker, more concentrated, colostrum-like milk.
Drop in feed consumption with a simultaneous drop in rumen function, accompanied by loose feces and some fever.
Impacted herds have reported older cows in mid-lactation may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows, fresh cows or heifers.
Some herds have reported pneumonia and mastitis.

Officials are strongly advising dairy producers to use all standard biosecurity measures. They note it’s important for producers to clean and disinfect all livestock watering devices and isolate drinking water where it might be contaminated by waterfowl. Farmers are also being asked to notify their herd veterinarian if they suspect any cattle within their herd are displaying symptoms of this condition.

For more on HPAI, read:

Twelve Cases of HPAI in Dairy Cattle Confirmed in Five States

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:54:11 GMT

To date, 12 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in dairy cattle in five states.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has made the confirmations in dairy herds in four states: Texas (7), Kansas (2), Michigan (1), and New Mexico (1).

In addition, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced March 28 that it had identified its first cases of HPAI in a Cassia County dairy cattle operation. The affected facility had recently imported cattle from another state and herd that had HPAI.

Fred Gingrich, DVM and executive director for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), says the virus identified in affected dairy cows is the same virus that has affected the U.S. poultry industry since 2022.

“The assumption is the initial herds were affected by wild migratory birds,” Gingrich told Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, on Tuesday.

Gingrich adds that government agencies, veterinarians and livestock industry groups have more questions than answers at this point about how HPAI is infecting herds, and they are not ruling out cow-to-cow transmission.

“Clinically, it looks like that’s what is happening. Some of the newly infected herds outside of Texas had purchased animals from areas there that had affected herds. That indicates that we probably have some cow-to cow transmission,” Gingrich says. “What’s not known is how does that transmission occur? Does it occur through oral secretions, through the manure, urine, or aerosolized in respiratory secretions like it is in birds? Or is there some mechanical transfer when cows are in the parlor together?”

Adopt Good Biosecurity Practices
The many unknowns at this point make the need for producers to adopt good biosecurity measures more important than ever. Gingrich says the AABP and the National Milk Producers Federation have teamed up to release a set of biosecurity guidelines for producer and veterinarian use. The guidelines and recommendations are available at bit.ly/3TGYMul.

The key points in the guidelines, Gingrich says, encourage dairy producers to minimize any opportunity for the transmission of HPAI by: minimizing livestock contact with wild, migratory birds, isolating new animals on the farm, limiting any visits to your farm to only essential workers and practicing good, general biosecurity measures.

“If you’re moving either your own cattle home from a heifer grower, or you’re purchasing animals, talk to your veterinarian about any potential screening that you might want to do for those cattle, which is just a good practice for any potential disease,” Gingrich advises. “Certainly, you just need to be careful about herd purchases when we have unknowns with an emerging viral event.”

Producers should use the same general precautions, Gingrich adds, for beef cattle and other livestock as well.

“Currently, there are no reports of HPAI in the U.S. beef herd, but certainly producers and veterinarians should be on alert to monitor and watch for any symptoms,” he says.

Five states, Delaware, Idaho, Nebraska, Tennessee and Utah, are taking additional precautions to increase their biosecurity measures. Dairy Herd Management’s Taylor Leach reports the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has issued a restriction on the importation of dairy cattle because of the recent HPAI outbreaks. Learn more here: New Regulation: Dairy Cattle Entry into Nebraska Now Requires Permit Amid HPAI Bird Flu Concerns

Silver Linings In The Clouds
When dairy cows are affected by HPAI, they tend to be only a small percentage of the total herd.

“It only affects about 10% of the cows in a herd, and it does not cause mortality, and we’re thankful for that,” Gingrich says.

Furthermore, any risk to the U.S. public from consuming dairy and meat is very low, because pasteurization destroys the virus.

Looking Ahead
Moving forward in the days and weeks ahead, Gingrich recommends that producers work closely with their herd veterinarians and sign up for HPAI alerts as they are released by the Centers for Disease Control, USDA and other federal and state agencies.

“I think the first thing is to be on the lookout for the disease symptoms in your herd; don’t hide it. We all need to work together to continue the investigation. If you have a sudden drop in appetite and milk production in your herd, the first person you should call is your veterinarian and work through to get a diagnosis, whatever that might be,” he says.

“Secondly, we want dairy farmers to know that the veterinary community cares about you. And we certainly understand that this is a scary time. So make sure that you’re relying on your veterinarian and USDA and organizations like AABP for reliable information,” he adds.

Gingrich offers counsel for veterinarians as well. “Be aggressive with diagnostics, as the investigation is ongoing. Make sure that you are working with your diagnostic labs and state animal health officials to collect the appropriate diagnostics that we have posted on the AABP website. If you’re an AABP member, we have a reporting portal where you can identify the herds with this syndrome.”

Learn more about this evolving issue in the following articles. You can also listen to the AgriTalk discussion between Dr. Gingrich and AgriTalk Host Chip Flory at the link below:

Rare Human Case of Bird Flu Confirmed. Officials Believe it Began on Texas Dairy

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza’s Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

Strange Bird Flu Outbreak, HPAI, Now Detected at Idaho Dairy

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:10:38 GMT

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced that HPAI, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been found in dairy cattle in Idaho. This now brings the number of affected states to four, adding more evidence the virus may be spreading cow to cow.

The cows were recently brought into the Cassia County dairy from another state that had found HPAI in dairy cattle, according to the ISDA.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that an investigation into mysterious illnesses in dairy cows in three states—Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas—was due to HPAI and that wild birds are the source of the virus.

Symptoms of HPAI in cattle include:

Drop in milk production
Loss of appetite
Changes in manure consistency
Thickened or colostrum-like milk
Low-grade fever

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. The pasteurization process of heating milk to a high temperature ensures milk and dairy products can be consumed safely.

The ISDA encourages all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their local veterinarian immediately if cattle appear to show symptoms. HPAI is a mandatory reportable disease, and any Idaho veterinarians who suspect cases of HPAI in livestock should immediately report it to ISDA at 208-332-8540 or complete the HPAI Livestock Screen at agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/hpai/ .

For more on HPAI, read:

Rare Human Case of Bird Flu Confirmed. Officials Believe it Began on Texas Dairy

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:07:46 GMT

Just a week after discovering that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, was the cause of illness for several dairy herds throughout the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico and Kansas , the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is now reporting that a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus has been confirmed in Texas. The case was identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the disease.

The patient, who experienced eye inflammation as their only symptom, was tested for flu late last week with confirmatory testing performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend. Currently, the patient is being treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir. The DSHS reports that the human case does not change the risk for the general public, which still remains low.

According to the CDC, this is the second human case of H5N1 flu in the U.S. and the first linked to an exposure to cattle. Symptoms can include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, eye redness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or seizures. The illness can range from mild to severe, and health care providers who come across someone who may have the virus should “immediately consult their local health department,” according to the alert.

“The risk to the general public is believed to be low; however, people with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) have a higher risk of infection,” the alert said.

While the disease is new to the dairy industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says there is no safety concern to the commercial milk supply. Consumer health is also not at risk, the department said. The milk from impacted animals is being dumped or destroyed and will not enter the food supply.

“Milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply,” agencies said. “In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. FDA’s longstanding position is that unpasteurized, raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to consumers, and FDA is reminding consumers of the risks associated with raw milk consumption in light of the HPAI detections.”

The virus was detected in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas last week and has since spread to additional herds in at least five states, all of which include:

Texas
Kansas
New Mexico
Idaho
Michigan

This leads some scientists to believe that the virus may be spreading cow-to-cow.

Texas officials are guiding affected dairies about how to minimize workers’ exposure and how people who work with affected cattle can monitor for flu-like symptoms and get tested.

In addition, officials are strongly advising dairy producers to use all standard biosecurity measures. They note it’s important for producers to clean and disinfect all livestock watering devices and isolate drinking water where it might be contaminated by waterfowl. Farmers are also being asked to notify their herd veterinarian if they suspect any cattle within their herd are displaying symptoms of this condition.

“Unlike affected poultry, I foresee there will be no need to depopulate dairy herds,” says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “Cattle are expected to fully recover. The Texas Department of Agriculture is committed to providing unwavering support to our dairy industry.”

For more n HPAI, read:

Mystery Illness is Now Affecting Dairy Cows in Texas, New Mexico As Industry Searches for Answers

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:33:49 GMT

Dairy farmers in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico are grappling with quite the mystery. Something is causing milk production to nosedive, and veterinarians and state officials can’t pinpoint what it is. In affected cowherds, the issue impacts nearly 10% of the animals, causing reduced feed consumption and a 10% to 20% decline in milk production.

A Texas dairy farmer told Farm Journal the mystery illness acts similar to the flu and impacts only older cows. Currently, the majority of cases are being reported in Texas and New Mexico. However, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), the nation’s largest cattle veterinary association, told Farm Journal they have some veterinarian members in Kansas who have also reported symptoms, but those reports are unconfirmed.

“It appears that the disease peaks in about three to four days and lasts 10 to 14 days. Older dairy cattle appear to be more clinically affected, with a more severely affected lactation,” says Dr. Fred Gingrich, cattle veterinarian and executive director of AABP. “And although it’s not consistent with every herd, it appears that it’s mostly affecting animals that are in mid- to late lactation. It’s pretty unusual that we have something going on in older animals, and it’s not in fresh cows.”

Gingrich says AABP understands the need for urgency in finding answers for dairy producers.

“We understand right now that the primary impact of this disease is economic. These herds lose about 20% of their milk production for 14 to 21 days, which is a huge economic loss,” Gingrich says. “I think we always like to look for the bright side in a situation, and we don’t appear to have mortalities associated with this disease. That’s not happening, which is really great.”

As the industry works to uncover the factors causing the disease, Gingrich says what makes pinpointing the cause so difficult is trying to decipher what the main symptoms of the illness are versus the secondary symptoms and related issues.

“It’s not a pneumonia outbreak, as far as we can see, and it’s not a mastitis outbreak. I think that some of those things that we’re seeing on farms are probably secondary to the initial agent that’s causing cows to go off feed, and every dairy farmer knows that a cow that doesn’t eat is at risk to get other syndromes and other diseases. I think that’s what’s occurring right now.” he adds.

Gingrich says diagnostic labs have already done several tests, along with more pending samples. “Right now, the test results are what we would call inconclusive,” he says. “There’s nothing conclusive as an exact diagnosis as to whether this is caused by a pathogen of a bacteria or a virus.”

What We Know

According to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), here’s a summary of what the industry knows at this time:

The symptoms of the illness last between 10 and 14 days.
The exact cause of the illness is undiagnosed and still unknown.
Clinical signs include a sudden drop in milk production.
Some severely impacted cows are producing thicker, more concentrated, colostrum-like milk.
The problem causes a drop in feed consumption with a simultaneous drop in rumen function, accompanied by loose feces and some fever.
Impacted herds have reported older cows in mid-lactation may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows, fresh cows or heifers.
Dry cows and heifers do not appear to be affected.
Some herds have reported pneumonia and mastitis.

Texas officials say they are working with USDA to further monitor and evaluate reported cases.

“We’re trying to rule out infectious diseases in anything that might be related to feed or water or any kind of supplementation that these animals are receiving,” Dr. Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges, TAHC executive director and Texas state veterinarian, told Farm Journal.

“We’re trying to gather some management data as far as what herds are affected, what’s common to all the herds that are affected, and trying to do a good epidemiologic investigation here,” Dinges says. “It doesn’t appear to be an infectious disease, and we haven’t seen anything to prove that we need to stop movement on these cattle as of right now.”

Signs to Look For

Gingrich says both dairy producers and veterinarians should be on high alert and stay vigilant with biosecurity measures.

If you’re a dairy producer, Gingrich says these are some signs to look for:

Rapid onset of cows that aren’t eating
Either a drop in rumen activity or more feed in the bunk at the end of the day
A substantial loss in milk production

“These things are key,” says Gingrich. “Don’t just think you might have a bad batch of feed or that you have a respiratory outbreak and just need to vaccinate. If you see any of these issues, immediately call your veterinarian. I think that is important. I think the other thing that is important is, as with any disease, make sure you’re documenting it with good recordkeeping on who’s affected, when they are affected, et cetera. Good recordkeeping on sick cows applies to any disease. So I would encourage you to do that, as well.”

TAHC officials say they are working to find answers and will also continue to test.

“The unknown is not what we want to hear,” says Dinges. “We’re working on this around the clock to find an answer to what’s causing this in these cows.”

What Antibiotics Will No Longer be Available OTC?

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 19:10:32 GMT

On June 11, 2023, the FDA’s new directive, “Guidance for the Industry #263,” is slated for implementation, meaning that over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels. Instead, these antibiotics will now require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

While livestock producers are continuously working to practice judicious antibiotic usage, no longer having the ability to purchase commonly used antibiotics can throw farmers a curveball. Instead, these antibiotics will only be available with a veterinary prescription and will need to be purchased from a veterinarian or a pharmacy.

The Pennsylvania State University Dairy Extension team lists the following antibiotics that will no longer be available for purchase over-the-counter.

Injectable Products

Penicillins
Tetracyclines
Sulfa Antibiotics
Erythromycin
Tylosin
Lincomycin
Spectinomycin
Gentamicin

Intramammary Products (Mastitis Tubes)

Erythromycin
Penicillin
Dihydrostreptomycin
Novobiocin
Cephapirin
Cephapirin Benzathine

Oral Liquids and Boluses

Dihydrostreptomycin
Sulfa Antibiotics
Tetracyclines
Spectinomycin
Gentamicin

Eye Ointments

Gentamicin
Tetracyclines

Products that will not be impacted by the June 2023 changes include:

Products Under Veterinary Oversight

Prescription Products
Veterinary Feed Directive Products

OTC Animal Health Products

Vaccines
Dewormers
Fly Control
Hormone Implants
Teat Sealants
Ionophore Products

Linda Tikofsky, DVM and senior associate director of dairy professional services at Boehringer Ingelheim, says there are several steps producers should be taking now to prepare for the change.

Take Inventory

“I think the number one thing to do is just take inventory of what you’re using and what you won’t be able to purchase after June 2023,” Tikofsky says. “Go through your drug cabinet, take note of what you’re using and how often you’re using it.”

Know What You’re Treating

It’s hard to know what you need if you don’t know what you’re treating. According to Tikofsky, part of judicious antibiotic use is understanding the diseases on your farm and knowing how to treat them.

“Understanding what you’re up against and how to treat a disease is an important part of animal husbandry,” Tikofsky says. “Very often, antibiotics are not the only avenue when treating an illness or condition. Talk with your veterinarian to better understand when and how to treat when using an antibiotic, and work with them to see if there are other treatment options available.”

Prioritize Preventative Management

The best way to avoid using antibiotics is to prioritize preventative management. Take time to review herd health protocols and work proactively with your veterinarian and other consultants to address health issues within the herd.

Talk With Your Vet

Now is the time to work with your veterinarian to develop a plan to adjust the way your operation will access animal health products.

“Going forward, all prescriptions will need to be provided by a licensed veterinarian with whom the producer has a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship,” Tikofsky says. “This really shouldn’t affect farmers too much, it will just require them to have a good working relationship with their vet, which is always the goal. When it comes to obtaining antibiotics, producers will either need to purchase antibiotics from the veterinarians themselves or use a distributor that has a pharmacy license. Your vet should be able to help you find one of these distributors.”

Assemble Your Team

Surrounding your operation with the best team members should always be top of mind. According to Tifkofsky, now is the time to make sure your entire team is on board with your farm’s animal health objectives.

“It’s important to not only talk to your veterinarian about this, but also your nutritionist, herd managers and employees,” she says. “Make sure you’re assembling the right team to set your operation up for success.”

For a complete list of products impacted by the FDA’s new directive, including manufacturer information, click here.

For more on antibiotics, read:

Major Flooding: Bomb Cyclone Storm Causing Havoc to California Dairy Farmers

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:02:55 GMT

While normally any moisture to the Golden State would be welcomed with open arms by farmers, the massive “Bomb Cyclone” storm hitting California is far from normal. A “Bomb Cyclone,” by definition, is a low-pressure system that experiences a fall in pressure of 24 millibars in 24 hours.

High winds, heavy rain and snow, and power outages have impacted California this week. Dairy farmer Hank Van Exel shares that he has received more than 10 inches in the past week. And, it is still raining at his farm in Lodi, located 40 miles south of Sacramento.

“It has been pouring for the last couple of hours,” he stated yesterday afternoon. “I’m sure we’ll have another inch and a half today.”

Van Exel says massive flooding is occurring around his farm, as well as in areas north.

“I have about 500 acres under water,” he shares. “Most of which we have drained out, but it is all filling up again. It remains to be seen how much feed I will lose but it doesn’t look good.”

In addition to the rain, 49- to 60-mph winds have hit Lodi, causing Van Excel to re-bed freestalls over and over.

“We use rice hulls for the calves and the area to the north where we get that from is flooded,” he says.

Van Exel counts himself fortunate, as so far, his farm has not lost power. Neighboring farms have not fared so well, many of which have been out of power for 24 hours.

“A lot of dairyman have flooded corals and have had to move [cows] out,” he says.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a statewide emergency declaration earlier this week to help agencies send aid and resources where needed.

Dams Needed

Geoff Vanden Heuvel, the director of regulatory and economic affairs with the California Milk Producer Council, shared on a 2022 National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) podcast that the California water issue is complex and long-standing. The state was developed without any regulations on groundwater. He also states that between 85% to 90% of California’s milk supply hails from the Central Valley.

“It’s a vast groundwater basin, millions and millions of acre feet of water reside under the ground, and it was never regulated,” he shares. “Dairyman found large tracks of ground that were available and as long as there was water underneath you, you could put wells in and construct the dairy and began to milk cows and grow feed around the dairy and all was well. California always depended on the Central Valley, a combination of groundwater and surface water.”

Vanden Heuvel says that surface water mainly comes from the rain and snow that occurs in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which is directly to the east of the Central Valley.

“For many years, it was a combination of surface water and groundwater that sustained agriculture in California and created really what is an agriculture marvel in the world. I mean, we grow about 250 different agricultural crops and became home to the nation’s largest dairy industry. Water, it was there, there was a lot of it and there wasn’t a huge barrier to accessing it. So, it wasn’t something we spent a lot of time thinking about,” he says.

Van Exel says that the main cause is that the state of California has not built any dams.

“Especially on the Cosumnes River,” he says. “It runs wild. This dam was voted on years ago, but never built.”

Van Exel says he bets 75% of the extra precipitation that comes out of the “Bomb Cyclone” will go to the ocean.

“The worst is the wind,” he says. “The power companies are having a terrible time trying to restore power and so many of the areas can’t even try to get their pumps going. So, I guess this extra rain is not necessarily a good thing.”

California dairy producer Steve Maddox, located 160 miles southeast of Van Exel, says he has received 3 inches of rain in the past two weeks.

“That’s nearly the same amount we received all season long a few years ago,” Maddox says.

Maddox owns and operates Maddox Dairy, home to 4,000 cows and equal number of replacement heifers, and farms 1,600 acres of almonds and 3,000 acres of wine grapes, as well as cropland to supply feed for their cattle. In 2021, Maddox made the hard decision to fallow a third of his 1,800 acres of corn silage cropland due to water restrictions. He says undoubtedly more dams are needed on the reservoirs.

“Our state needs to be able to store more water. From here on out, just give me snow,” he says.

Water Shortage Pushes Central Oregon Dairy Farmer to Sell 40% of His Herd

Tue, 10 May 2022 15:07:29 GMT

Water is a crucial ingredient when it comes to agriculture. This especially holds true in locations like the High Desert of Central Oregon. With 12 inches of precipitation annually, central Oregon isn’t a stranger to dry conditions. However, their scarce water issues have generated problems for river habitat along the Upper Deschutes River. All of this has diverted irrigation water that normally would be allocated for agriculture, to stay put in the river.

This ongoing issue has become a headache for many farmers, like dairy farmer Jos Poland of Madras. Less water doesn’t only mean fewer aces for his cows to graze on. It has forced Poland to make the hard decision to sell 40% of his herd earlier this year, reducing it from 240 head to 140 milking to cut costs. Poland says he was left with no other choice.

The water issue has been ongoing, but it was heightened when Oregon’s spotted frog population was put on the federal Endangered Species List in 2014. This caused the Center for Biological Diversity to ratchet up the pressure, slapping on a lawsuit that requires more water distribution for the Upper Deschutes. Doing just that means less water for farmers, like Poland.

When the river loses water, the wetland frog habitat along the Upper Deschutes dries up. When the river has too much water, frog eggs flush downstream and die.

“It’s not a great picture for the frog right now,” Bridget Moran, who manages the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bend office, says. “The listing of the frog brought to the surface a need for the broader restoration of the river.”

Poland, who ships his organic milk to Darigold, says he cannot grow enough grass to feed his cows due to the water shortage.

“Feed prices have skyrocketed,” he says. “And, it’s becoming harder and harder to find hay.”

Emotional as it is, Poland is contemplating what’s next for him if the drought continues.

Early Beginnings

His journey began in Holland, where he was born and raised on his family’s dairy farm, owned by his father and uncles. At 20-year-old, Poland went to Canada as an exchange student and then became a partner on a dairy farm in Alberta. In 1993, Poland moved to America to operate a conventional dairy farm in the Wilmette Valley before he built his dairy in 2005 with his wife, Deanna, who was raised on a central Oregon dairy farm.

Deanna understands the heaviness of the challenges she and her husband face as dairy farmers. However, the family lifestyle that owning and operating a dairy farm provides pushes them to not give up. The Poland’s have three children: Johan, 16, and twins, Maikel and Maija, 15.

“It’s great for the family to come together and be a team, working together,” Deanna says.

When labor became a bigger issue, the Poland’s pulled the trigger to install robots in 2020. This investment is something Poland questions, as this was ahead of the drought. When the water scarcity intensified, thanks to the spotted frog issue, Poland has regrets.

“To tell you the truth, I never would have done this if I knew then what I know now,” he shares. “I would have probably said, ‘that’s enough, I’m going to do something else.’”

Water Nightmare

Being in a drought for a couple of years, Poland says their water allocations have drastically declined.

“We normally get about two feet per acre of water,” he says. “Last year we got one foot and then later during the irrigation season, somewhere at end of June, they cut us back more. This year we get allocated half of what we got last year.”

This reduction means that Poland can only irrigate about a quarter of his land that he has water rights for.

“It took a lot of time for me to get my organic pastures established,” he shares. “The best thing to control the weeds for organic farmers is to water the pastures.”

Poland reports that half of his pastures are totally dead.

“They’re done. I’ll have to start all over if we ever get water back,” he says.

Head south to Redmond-Bend area, and Poland says they are getting five to six feet per acre of water.

“It makes no sense. They’re wasting water. It’s all because it is tied up in old water laws,” he says.

Poland claims that more water was left in the river during the wintertime causing less water to be stored for future irrigation.

“We should have twice the amount of water right now,” he says.

Due to being a certified organic producer, Poland’s cows are required to spend so much time each day grazing out on pasture. Last year, they gave some leniency due to the drought, but this year he was forced to cull some cows. Poland is hoping he doesn’t have to further reduce his herd size but says that it will all depend on if his farm gets the timely summer rains that they desperately need.

“Last year we had 100°F at the end of June, which we never have had before,” he says. “I never had any thunderstorm showers to speak of last year.”

Moving Ahead

Poland’s plan is to reevaluate his situation later this fall before making any further life decisions.

“We’re going to watch what feed costs do, but I do think they’re going to be just outrageous,” he says.

Although they have no signed feed contracts, the Poland’s have a great relationship with their long-time feed supplier from eastern Oregon.

“We agree on the price and the quantity at the beginning of the season,” Poland says. “Even if prices go up, our buyer goes off of our agreed price.”

With only two dairies left in central Oregon, the idea of thinking about a life without cows tears at Poland’s heart.

“We built everything brand new here, starting from scratch,” he says. “It’s very hard to think about life without dairy cows, but at some point, you have to say enough is enough.”

Poland says truck driving might be the route he goes next, but for the time being, they’re trying to take the best care of their cattle.

“That is what we know how to do best,” he says.

Both growing up on family dairy farms, working hard has always been in the Poland’s veins. But now, they feel like they’re working harder than ever before and with mountains of roadblocks, the duo say it’s almost too hard to keep going on.

“It never bothered me before,” he says. “But I’m 56 now and I cannot predict what the future holds.”

Vilsack Weighs In On Parallel Between COVID-19 and Animal Disease Outbreaks

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 13:36:43 GMT

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the country anything, USDA Secretary of Agriculture nominee Tom Vilsack said it’s that there is a tremendous amount of synergy between the circumstances of a pandemic involving humans and those involving animals.

During the Coalition for Epi Response, Engagement and Science (CERES) Biosecurity Infectious Disease Symposium at Colorado State University (CSU) on Jan. 28, Vilsack explored the parallels between the animal and human infectious disease pandemics with CSU Vice President for Research Alan Rudolph.

A coordinated response
Vilsack said there are three lessons learned from the pandemic that can help the country better prepare for future human and animal infectious disease outbreaks.

“It’s pretty clear. Lesson number one is the sooner you can detect a problem, the better,” Vilsack said. “Clearly, we didn’t respond aggressively to the pandemic early in the process and we are currently paying for that failure to early detect.”

The second lesson learned is that incredible coordination is required during a disease outbreak, whether it’s an animal disease situation or human disease situation, he said. This starts with the ability of every government level – local, state, federal – to coordinate and work together.

“We’re now seeing that the challenge with reference to the vaccine distribution not being well coordinated, and obviously lives are at stake,” Vilsack said. “Tragically, we are seeing in places like Los Angeles, difficulties with this issue as it relates to the pandemic. We’ve certainly seen it with animal disposal as well. We need a more effective and efficient disposal method.”

Thirdly, the country needs to be able to create, distribute and manufacture vaccines more quickly. All of this involves effective communication, he added.

“It’s pretty clear that we need to continue to invest in research and development, both in animal health and human health and understand the connection and coalition between the two. And that’s going to require some resources. Hopefully, we’ve learned from this pandemic, and previous experiences, that it’s important and necessary to invest in research and development,” Vilsack said.

Human and animal disease parallels
Being able to flex between human and animal disease research is important, Rudolph said. Many of the labs in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) that sit on land-grant campuses have flexed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of these NAHLN diagnostic labs have shifted to being human CLIA diagnostic labs and really supported the infrastructure. We’ve seen a plasticity that I think is also a really interesting lesson learned – that we can flex between human and animal,” Rudolph said.

When Vilsack previously served as Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S. began building new assets to deal with large animal disease outbreaks like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, Rudolph noted.

“It’s pretty clear that we needed to modernize our facilities,” Vilsack said. “Plum Island was in very difficult shape. And while it was isolated from the continental 48 states and had a significantly lower risk of an escape of some disease or problem that would cause significant problems in the animal world, the move to Manhattan, Kan., creates a very incredibly secure facility with modern capacity to do what we need to do to better understand the nature of disease, how viruses are formulated and how they mutate over a period of time.”

Vilsack said it will be an important asset in the effort to detect disease early and be able to more effectively respond and prevent. However, he said the challenge is that we will always be confronted with animal diseases of one sort or another.

“We learned from the avian influenza situation that it took us a while to figure out what, and then it took us a while to figure out how to produce a vaccine, and then it took us a little while to produce it, and then a little while to distribute it,” Vilsack said. “The reality was that we saw fairly significant destruction of chickens and turkeys that really impacted and affected consumers, and obviously affected producers.”

Because of the pandemic, he believes the country has a heightened awareness now of the necessity of being able to respond quickly and effectively – from a national security perspective and economic security perspective – if the U.S. is hit with a pandemic or animal disease outbreak.

Editor’s Note: The CERES coalition brings together six premier land grant universities: University of California-Davis, Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to mobilize land-grant university discoveries and innovations in agricultural infectious diseases. The coalition has integrated a network of federally funded bio-containment resources for surveillance, diagnostics and countermeasure production, while actively engaging communities through Extension engagement and outreach.

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