Missouri agriculture officials keeping ‘close eye’ on herd health amid avian flu reports in Texas, Michigan cattle

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced multiple cases of H5N1, also called “Avian Flu” or “Bird Flu,” were confirmed in human patients related to their contact with dairy cows.

“Based on the information available at this time, this case does not change CDC’s current A(H5N1) bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public because all three sporadic cases had direct contact with infected cows,” the CDC’s report said.

While the USDA works with several states to increase testing on dozens of herds, Missouri agriculture officials said there’s no reason for consumers to panic, as several barriers exist between an animal contracting a virus and that animal’s products reaching store shelves.

First, cattle ranchers, farmers, and veterinarians are easily able to notice when a cow gets sick.

“It’s like an upset stomach,” said Scott Poock, Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri Extension. “If she’s got this upset stomach, she doesn’t eat, and because she doesn’t eat, she doesn’t make milk.”

Poock said because of how devastating a highly contagious disease would be to a cattle-farming operation, he said there’s a robust incentive to identify and diagnose early.

The Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Chris Chinn, said the state is third in the nation for beef cows and constantly monitors for health and safety.

“We have protocols in place to stop anything from entering the food chain, whether it be in the meat processing side, the dairy side, or the poultry side,” Chinn said. “There are many layers of protection for the consumer, – because our farming and ranching community consumes the same food that they raise for consumers.”

The USDA has more information on how the agency monitors and responds to livestock and poultry diseases.

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