Local farmers keep eye on dairy cows amid bird flu outbreak

TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD, New York (WWNY) - Bird flu outbreaks among dairy cattle have been confirmed in some U.S. states. Meanwhile, north country farmers are working to keep their dairy cows healthy.

North Harbor Dairy has more than a thousand cows and the avian flu is looming over CEO Brian Robbins’s head as birds begin to migrate.

“If it does get here, it will detrimentally impact productions,” he said.

Avian flu first popped up in migratory birds in late 2021. Initially, it spread to poultry farms. Now it’s hitting dairy farms, too. Dairy cattle in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Michigan have been diagnosed.

“We can’t rule out cow-to-cow transmissions, so we’re kind of covering all of our bases and ramping up our biosecurity efforts on farms to minimize the risk of exposure and spread,” said Dr. Robert Lynch, a veterinarian and dairy herd health extension specialist at Cornell University.

Lynch says symptoms include decreased lactation, poor appetite and lethargy. The cattle recover, but it’s a long, labor-intensive process.

“There’s a great deal of expense and work associated with supporting these cows, and also the farms that are affected. They lose a significant amount of total herd milk production and that’s their business,” he said.

The risk to humans is low. The United States Department of Agriculture says pasteurized milk and dairy are safe to consume but the Food & Drug Administration recommends dairy farmers not sell raw milk from cows showing symptoms.

“This is an additional risk factor that needs to be considered,” said Lynch.

Robbins says biosecurity, or procedures that would reduce the transmission of disease, is always a priority.

As for specific changes pertaining to the avian flu, he hasn’t made any significant changes yet.

“We’re talking to veterinarians. We’re waiting for their directives if we have to step up measures. So far they’ve told us just to hang tight,” said Robbins.

Dairy farmers wanting more information can contact the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.