The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was behind the recent illness affecting older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. Symptoms included decreased lactation and reduced appetite. Investigations involve multiple agencies, including the USDA, FDA, CDC, and state officials.
The Meat Institute reassured consumers that properly prepared beef is safe, as HPAI doesn’t transmit through meat. Dairy cows contribute 6.8% of U.S. beef production. Both the USDA and the Meat Institute emphasized the safety of the commercial milk supply, highlighting pasteurization’s role in deactivating viruses.
Concerns over international trade were raised, prompting calls for science-based decision-making from the White House. Testing is ongoing to understand the situation better, with early signs pointing to migratory wild birds as the infection source.
HPAI was confirmed in milk samples from affected dairy farms in Kansas and Texas. The risk to humans remains low, with no evidence of increased transmissibility. Affected herds report about 10% illness rates with minimal mortality.
Additionally, HPAI was detected in goats on a Minnesota farm, marking the first instance of HPAI transmission to ruminants.
