Milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has examined optimistic for fowl flu, US officers mentioned on Monday.
The illness has been reported in older dairy cows in these states and in New Mexico.
Signs embody decreased lactation and decreased urge for food.
This comes every week after officers in Minnesota introduced that goats on the farm the place an outbreak of fowl flu occurred amongst poultry had been identified with the virus.
That is believed to be the primary time avian influenza – often known as extremely pathogenic avian influenza – has been present in American livestock.
The industrial milk provide is secure, in accordance with the USDA.
Dairy corporations are required to permit solely milk from wholesome animals into the meals provide, and milk from sick animals is diverted or destroyed.
Pasteurization additionally kills different viruses and micro organism, and the method is required for milk bought by means of interstate commerce, they mentioned.
“At this level, there isn’t a concern concerning the security of the industrial milk provide or that this circumstance poses a danger to shopper well being,” the USDA mentioned in an announcement.
Consultants say the cattle will recuperate on their very own. That is completely different from fowl flu outbreaks in poultry, which require killing flocks to eliminate the virus.
Since 2022, the outbreak has resulted within the lack of about 80 million birds to industrial flocks in the US.
The USDA mentioned that primarily based on the Texas findings, officers imagine the cows contracted the virus from contaminated wild birds.
Thus far, the virus seems to be infecting about 10 p.c of dairy cows in contaminated herds, mentioned Michael Payne, a meals animal veterinarian and biosecurity skilled on the College of California-Davis Western Institute for Meals Security and Safety.
“This does not appear to be fast-track flu in fowl flocks,” he mentioned.
The federal authorities additionally mentioned checks didn’t detect any modifications within the virus that may make it unfold extra simply between folks.
Avian influenza was detected in unpasteurized medical samples of milk from sick cows collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas.
The virus was additionally present in a nostril and throat swab from one other dairy firm in Texas. Signs embody decreased lactation and decreased urge for food.
Officers additionally reported a discovery in New Mexico.
Officers described this case as quickly evolving.
The Meals and Drug Administration and Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention are additionally taking part, together with officers within the three states.
One other dairy-rich state, Iowa, mentioned it was monitoring the state of affairs.
Dairy business officers mentioned producers have begun enhancing biosecurity efforts on U.S. farms, together with limiting the quantity of visitors on and off properties and proscribing visits to workers and important staff.
Chicken flu has beforehand been reported in 48 completely different species of mammals, Payne famous, including: “It was most likely solely a matter of time earlier than fowl flu reached ruminants.”