Kansas

USDA mandates raw milk be tested for avian flu, Kansas reports new cases

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2024

USDA mandates raw milk be tested for avian flu, Kansas reports new cases

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — The USDA is mandating that raw milk products be submitted for testing. Scripps News reported that officials believe it will help the USDA better understand the transmission and mutation of avian flu.

“This April it [HPAI] did show that it was able to move into other species, meaning dairy cattle,” explained Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas Animal Health Commissioner, “We were concerned that it actually was the same virus, which you’ll sometimes hear called H5N1 influenza as well.”

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas Animal Health Commissioner

The Kansas Department of Agriculture told KSHB 41 that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the strain commonly referred to in bird species. Following the virus’s indication, it can spread through dairy cattle, it is commonly referred to as H5N1.

“It is basically this the same virus. We’re dealing with it now in two different species right now across the states,” added Dr. Smith.

Geese poop on Disneyland guests, hitting 17 people from air — Migrating waterfowl lead to spike in Avian Flu cases in Kansas.
Original photo: A group of Canada Geese fly over the Ellipse near the White House December 18, 2006 in Washington, DC.

The presence of HPAI is nothing new, it has been on wildlife biologists’ minds since the early 2000s. In 2022, HPAI’s impact culled nearly 100 million birds, affecting egg prices across the United States.

“Right now we’re seeing an influx of particularly Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese in the state of Kansas. They seem to be one of the primary vectors for avian influenza,” explained Tom Bidrowski, Migratory Game Bird Manager at the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. “When we do see new birds arriving, we start seeing a few outbreaks in our wild populations.”

Tom Bidrowski, Migratory Game Bird Manager, KDWP

KDWP said the recent spike in avian flu numbers is not having an overall impact on migratory waterfowl populations. It has impacted isolated avian flu cases in Douglas County, Kansas.

As of Dec. 6, 2024, Douglas County sits in red on an avian flu tracking map issued by the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

“That map represents our ‘avian’ version, HPAI. We did have a positive backyard flock recently in Douglas County,” said Smith. “It was this relatively small flock of mixed birds. We went out and tested those birds and they did have it. It [Douglas] is considered a positive county now.”

Kansas Avian Flu Map — Kansas Department of Agriculture’s map highlighting Avian influenza throughout the state. Douglas County reported the state’s first HPAI case since April this week.

KDA reports that the location housing the backyard flock of birds is under certain disinfection requirements.

“There’s no indication right now that any of our dairies are being impacted with this virus in the dairy world,” Smith added.

At the end of November, KSHB 41 met Rachel Moser, the co-owner of Be Whole Again Farm. She runs a raw milk operation in Ray County, Missouri.

“Raw milk is just one of those things that is really easy to digest,” Moser said. “It comes straight out of the cow, straight into a paper filter, kind of like a coffee filter, and into a cooling tank. It’s just milk.”

Moser’s business journey in raw milk was to get people back to the old way. Be Whole Again Farm believes in safe food practices of the 21st century.

“Raw milk was what humans drank for forever until the industrial revolution,” she explained. “In today’s day and age with refrigeration and cleaning chemicals… raw milk is not more dangerous than any other raw food.”

Rachel Moser, co-owner of Be Whole Again Farm — KSHB spoke to a local farmer to discuss their safety practices when it comes to producing raw milk.

Moser utilizes various processes to determine milk quality and consistently checks on the welfare of her animals.

“I see my cows. If I see that she looks depressed or off… we’re checking for fevers and things like that,” Moser added. “You can come and inspect my facilities and see with your own eyes we are being clean.”

Be Whole Again Farm told KSHB 41 that a large part of the raw milk industry is to know your farmer.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture said raw milk consumers and dairy farm workers are the most susceptible to infection of avian flu in milk.

“If you’re buying pasteurized processed milk. That is not the milk we are looking at,” Smith explained. “I would highly encourage folks that elect to consume raw milk, that they do their due diligence. They need to make sure the dairy providing that raw milk, their cows are not suffering from this disease.”

To be clear, milk that’s been pasteurized and purchased in a grocery store will not need to be submitted for avian flu testing. KDA told KSHB 41 that pasteurization is safe and raw products will be submitted for testing moving forward.

Bird Flu — This 2005 electron microscope image shows an avian influenza A H5N1 virion.

“There are some concerns about raw milk that does have the virus in it. If it’s being harvested from a cow that has the virus, there is a concern there and what the consumption of that virus is, we don’t know yet,” said Smith. “There’s no indication that it’s been a problem if those folks that have consumed it again from the pasteurization.”

The Kansas Department of Agriculture last reported a case of HPAI in April 2024. New mandates are creating additional strain and responsibility in farmers’ stewardship.

“The risk of getting someone sick,” Moser added. “I could lose everything.”

—

Source link

Click to comment

Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

11 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
Atchison 74, Wamego 43
Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hays 80, Topeka West 18
Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

Source link

Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

Source link

Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

Source link