Older dairy cattle have tested positive in Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas.
Transcript
Katie Fongvongsa, Reporter: The USDA APHIS is investigating the outbreak of the bird flu along with the strain of the avian influenza. The difference is the bird flu is making older cows sick and the avian flu is fatal for poultry. So far, the USDA confirmed dairy cattle in Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico are catching a cold from wild birds leaving their tracks. The same can be said for flocks in other parts of the country. The Director of Integrated Communications at the American Egg Board, Marc Dresner, says what poultry farmers do when an outbreak occurs.
Marc Dresner/American Egg Board Director of Integrated Communications: These are measures taken on farms to prevent a disease. They are a priority for farmers everyday not just during a disease outbreak. When a disease is confirmed, farmers increase their biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from possible exposure.
Fongvongsa: Dresner says these drastic routines include limiting visitors, cleaning equipment, truck washes, and an employee shower in and out. However farmers don’t have control of their egg prices as they are regulated federally. Currently egg prices are still higher than average because of the avian flu and consumer demand. Dresner says that especially during the spring holiday season, market prices typically surge but they are still down 40 percent from last year. Owner of Cathy’s cookies, Cathy Pemberton, says this hasn’t affected her business yet.
Cathy Pemberton, Owner of Cathy’s cookies: No, I haven’t seen any changes. So, I buy them in bulk usually at Costco. I buy organic eggs and regular eggs, and I haven’t seen any changes, or at Wegmans either for their organic eggs.
Fongvongsa: The FDA, CDC, and several state agencies are continuing to monitor the situation. Central New York has no reported cases of the bird flu at this time.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – The United States Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service is investigating the outbreak of the bird flu along with the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza. The difference is that the bird flu is making older cows sick and the avian flu is killing the poultry population.
While there are no confirmed cases yet here in Central New York, the USDA has confirmed cases in dairy cattle in Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico. However, the avian flu arose in 2016 with cases being found in almost every state. The culprits of this disease are wild birds. When they get farther than the fencing or their tracks are brought in on a farm, this H5N1 strain can spread rapidly. Last week, goats contracted the disease. Marc Dresner, the Director of Integrated Communications at the American Egg Board, said what poultry farmers do when an outbreak occurs.
“These are measures taken on farms to prevent a disease,” Dresner said. “They are a priority for farmers every day not just during a disease outbreak. When a disease is confirmed, farmers increase their biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from possible exposure.”
Biosecurity is defined as ways farmers prevent and prevent their animals from getting sick. These routines include limiting visitors, cleaning equipment, truck washes, and an employee Danish entry to ensure cleanliness, according to Dresner.
However farmers don’t have control of egg prices as they are regulated by the market. Currently egg prices are still higher than average and the American Egg Board director said that’s because of Easter and following holidays. In comparison to last year, market prices are down 40%. One downtown sweets owner said those prices haven’t trickled down to affect her business yet.
“No, I haven’t seen any changes. So, I buy them in bulk usually at Costco,” Pemberton, the owner of Cathy’s Cookies, said. “I buy organic eggs and regular eggs, and I haven’t seen any changes, or at Wegmans either for their organic eggs.”
The FDA, CDC, and several state agencies are continuing to monitor the situation. Central New York has no reported cases of the bird flu and there is no direct threat for humans to catch the illness.