GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After several weeks of reporting no cases, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed a new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) within a dairy herd.
of The latest trends It’s in a herd in Gratiot County that was first reported on July 5 and confirmed by testing at the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, according to MDARD data.
Prior to this latest outbreak, MDARD had not reported any new cases for five weeks, the longest period since the first outbreak was identified among dairy cows in late March.
According to MDARD, this is the 34th outbreak confirmed this year and the 26th in dairy herds.
The avian flu epidemic began in earnest in 2022, affecting farms across the country. Over the past two years, Over 97 million poultry Some chickens have been culled due to infection. The disease returned in earnest to Michigan in March, with the first cases confirmed on a dairy farm in Montcalm County. Since then, 24 more dairy farms have been confirmed to have cases, and eight more poultry flocks have been identified.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is highly fatal in birds but has a high survival rate in cattle, and although rare, humans can also become infected with the virus.
Five cases have been reported in the United States since the start of the 2022 outbreak, with four occurring since early April. Two in MichiganMost human cases are relatively mild and not contagious. He passed away earlier this year. Caused by bird flu infection.
MDARD is “Highly pathogenic avian influenza risk reduction response order” The guidelines, released on May 1, outline specific measures poultry and dairy farmers must take to prevent the spread of the virus, including strict procedures such as disinfecting vehicles and equipment and closing animal display cases until the spread of the infection is under control.
“We know that this virus can be transmitted not only from cow to cow, but also through the movement of people, vehicles and equipment. The decrease in positive detections is due in large part to a coordinated combination of federal interstate travel restrictions and state-level biosecurity requirements,” said MDARD Director Tim Bowling.
