This autumn, flocks in the $67 billion U.S. poultry industry for the first time face a double risk for infections from dairies and migrating birds that can spread the disease.

Bird flu, which is lethal for poultry and reduces milk output in dairy cows, has eliminated more than 100 million chickens and turkeys since 2022 in the biggest U.S. outbreak ever.

Rose Acre Farms, the second-biggest U.S. egg producer, wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow vaccinations, CEO Marcus Rust told Reuters. The company lost millions of hens in outbreaks and is relocating an Indiana facility for breeding chickens because it sits across a highway from a wildlife refuge that attracts migratory ducks, he said.

“We’re farmers. We want our animals to live,” Rust said.

The virus’ jump to cattle in 14 states and infections of 13 dairy and poultry farm workers this year have concerned scientists and federal officials about the risks to humans from further spread.

The nation’s leading egg, turkey and dairy groups argued in an August letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that the economic toll of the outbreak justifies deploying a vaccine. And federal lawmakers say USDA should accelerate its vaccine research and develop new methods to help farmers avoid outbreaks.

“It is obvious that the current outbreak has no end in sight,” a dozen members of Congress, led by Representatives Randy Feenstra, a Republican, and Democrat Jim Costa, said in another August letter to Vilsack.

A USDA spokesperson said the agency has been collaborating with state and federal agencies and researchers to protect livestock, farmers and farm workers and is researching animal vaccinations.

However, Vilsack said in a previously unreported March letter to members of Congress that a vaccine campaign would face challenges including potential barriers to exports. Many countries ban imports of vaccinated poultry because of concerns that the vaccine could mask the presence of the virus.

“Widespread vaccination of commercial poultry is not possible in the short term,” Vilsack wrote in the letter, which the animal welfare group Farm Forward obtained through a public records request and shared with Reuters.

‘REASON TO HAVE HOPE’

A growing number of countries are considering once-taboo vaccines. France last year began vaccinating ducks for bird flu. New Zealand, which has never had a case of bird flu, is testing a vaccine on five species of wild birds.

The U.S. approved emergency use of bird flu vaccine to protect California condors last year.

“The only use of a vaccine in the U.S. is in this particular case due to the endangered status of that wild bird,” said Julianna Lenoch, a USDA wildlife disease expert. The U.S. vaccinated 94 condors and saw deaths from bird flu stop, she said on a Thursday webinar.

Bird flu eliminated 17 million egg-laying hens from April through July, according to USDA data. By August, retail egg prices eclipsed $3.20 per dozen and reached a 16-month high, federal data show.

The egg industry will need to increase supply to reduce prices and the migratory period creates uncertainty, said Brian Moscogiuri, a vice president for Eggs Unlimited.

The migration season for wild birds is underway and will last until December, with waterfowl flying south from northern states like Minnesota, experts said. Blue-winged Teal ducks can travel all the way to South America, said Andy Ramey, research scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Brazil, the world’s top chicken exporter, could see more cases in wild birds due to migrations, its poultry association said.

Migratory birds can carry the virus without dying and transmit it to poultry. However, it appears fewer wild birds are becoming infected, probably because they are building immunity, Ramey said.

“There is reason to have hope,” he said.

Additional reporting for Reuters by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Roberto Samora in Sao Paulo

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The CDC had previously confirmed four cases and a fifth presumptive positive case of bird flu among Colorado farm workers who were killing and disposing of chickens that had contracted the virus.

Four other farm workers have contracted avian flu this year from infected dairy cows in Michigan, Texas and Colorado.

The risk to the general public from bird flu remains low, Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the CDC, said on a call with reporters.

When workers were killing the infected chickens, it was 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in Colorado, and strong industrial fans made it hard for workers to keep protective gear on their faces, Shah said.

“PPE use was not optimal, particularly the masks and eye protection,” Shah said, referring to personal protective equipment.

Initial analysis of the virus does not show concerning changes to the virus making it easier to spread among people, Shah said.

The CDC is not recommending that livestock workers be vaccinated against bird flu, Shah added.

The infected chicken farm is in a county where cows have tested positive for bird flu, Eric Deeble, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said on the press call.

More than 150 dairy herds across 13 states have been infected with the virus since March, according to the USDA.

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Many potential vectors have been considered, from migratory birds, direct cow-to-cow transmission and milking equipment. A University of Guelph veterinary professor has one word to describe this flu strain: erratic.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before — never, ever, ever,” said Shayan Sharif.

He’s been following this iteration of bird flu, caused by the virus H5N1, since it started making global waves around 2020.

• RELATED: Canada expands bird flu surveillance in dairy cattle

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners says cattle cases should be referred to as bovine influenza A virus (BIAV) to reflect that the disease is less lethal and presents with different symptoms in cattle than in poultry.

Since 2022, and until dairy cases were confirmed in March, the main struggle has involved poultry. Barn infections in the U.S. and Canada led millions of chickens and turkeys to be culled in the last few years in efforts to control spread.

“Globally, we’ve never seen an avian outbreak that has lasted for almost three years globally and has caused so much pain for the poultry industry. It’s behaving very erratically,” Sharif said.

Wild mammals, mostly predators, have also been infected, as has a juvenile goat in Minnesota.

Start of the dairy problem

On April 16, an update from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) indicated that they’ve so far found the virus in pigeons, grackles and blackbirds that live around dairy barns. That’s somewhat of a departure from the last few years, where birds like geese and other waterfowl were flagged as major disease reservoirs of concern.

The illness has killed several barn cats, caused a mild infection in one Texas dairy employee, and resulted in either positive or presumed positive tests on dairy cows in nine states: Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio, Idaho, Michigan and Colorado.

Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillaincourt, an epidemiologist with University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, says influenza A virus doesn’t spread readily in feces, so chances are low that geese or ducks could infect cows during a fly-over. It also doesn’t spread easily through nasal droplets so the likelihood is low that cows would spread the virus to other cows.

However, those vectors can’t be ruled out, he said, and there is much to investigate about current infections. Vaillaincourt thinks an infected bird with access to cattle housing or feeding areas likely contaminated either feed or water in the U.S. dairy incidents.

Reports show that USDA officials “floated the possibility, without naming specific herds or locations, that all affected cows may trace back to a single farm.”

Vaillaincourt believes this means positive tests in other states resulted from cattle imported from Texas, a fact confirmed in some U.S. cases. He says it’s likely HPAI was circulating in dairy facilities in Texas and possibly in nearby states for several weeks before someone decided to test for it.

“(The infection in cows) is noticeable, but it’s not really a classic case of anything … (and) they seem to recover after two weeks. They may have, in several states, had a problem for quite some time and they didn’t know.”

Vectors

The lone human case linked to dairy infections almost certainly occurred through milk contact, most likely splashing into eyes or being introduced into eyes by contaminated hands.

An APHIS update April 26 said that, “While it is still unclear exactly how virus is spreading, the virus is shed in milk at high concentrations; therefore, anything that comes in contact with unpasteurized raw milk, spilled milk, etc. may spread the virus including other animals, vehicles, and other objects or materials.”

“Right now, the (U.S.-based) Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. is recommending people wear goggles” while dealing with infected cows, and urging against feeding raw milk to either humans or calves, Vaillaincourt said.

• RELATED: Bird flu traces found in one in five US commercial milk samples, says FDA

In Canada, sale of raw milk for human consumption is prohibited.

That’s likely not the link for new cattle infections, however. Cows don’t typically get milk in their eyes or noses and won’t knowingly eat a dead bird. But they could consume organic matter from a bird if it’s in feed or a water source.

“Water will be a big (subject of investigation),” Vaillaincourt said. “In non-treated water, this virus could survive for weeks.”

A possible cow-to-cow infection was tagged in Idaho March 30. In an April 24 statement, in which the USDA announced new rules for interstate dairy cattle movement, the agency said spread had been noted between cows in the same herd, from cows to poultry, between dairies associated with cattle movements and that virus had been found in cows without clinical signs.

In one case, lung tissue from a cull cow from an affected farm tested positive, although U.S. officials stressed no product from that cow made it into the food supply.

The Meat Institute, which speaks forAmerican meat processors, has since called for the USDA to institute testing for beef. On May 1, the USDA announced that 30 samples had been taken from retailed ground beef in infected states. No samples had tested positive for the virus.

Milking equipment is another potential vulnerability and some biosecurity recommendations also suggest rodent prevention.

“Rodents are not necessarily the best host for avian influenza, but it is possible that they could carry avian influenza into the barn,” Sharif said.

Why is this time different?

Migratory birds are the typical culprits blamed for bird flu spread. They are carriers but, in outbreaks prior to the explosion of cases in 2022, often didn’t develop signs of serious illness. This time round, that’s not the case.

“We’ve had massive die-offs of Canada geese caused by this particular strain of HPAI,” Sharif said. “In the past we wouldn’t have this (range) of behaviours displayed by the virus.”

In an April Reuters article, University of Guelph pathobiology researcher Nitish Boodhoo noted the strain infecting American cattle “has undergone a specific adaptation in an enzyme called polymerase. Changes to this viral enzyme are concerning, as it could allow for faster adaptation and maybe even support cattle-to-cattle transmission.”

In a statement reported by Reuters April 24, the USDA said it “has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans and between people.”

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“We’re certainly encouraging producers to keep security in mind during this time,” said Karin Schmid with Alberta Beef Producers (ABP).

Recommendations include minimizing contact between cattle and migratory birds where feasible. Any cattle coming from affected regions should be separated out and monitored for symptoms. ABP is also asking producers with new animals on the farm to change and disinfect boots and other clothing before tending other animals.

“And then, of course, we would like to encourage people to report any unusual clinical signs or signs of illness that are unexpected,” said Schmid. “If you’re seeing a higher level of illness than you would normally anticipate this time of year, report that to your veterinarian.”

Similarly, she said, groups of dead birds should be reported to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.

If the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain makes its way into Canadian dairy herds, there is a chance the virus could get into beef herds based on crossover between the two industries, said Schmid.

“Primarily, (beef producers) deal with processing of cull cows or feeding out younger dairy animals.”

• READ MORE: Bovine flu a reminder of risk management in markets

The virus currently seems to be targeting older lactating cows, and there have been no reports of HPAI in feedlots, she said April 2.

Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is also encouraging heightened biosecurity and echo many of ABPs recommendations.

“Manitoba Beef Producers along with the Canadian Cattle Association is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to closely monitor the evolving situation in the U.S.A with highly pathogenic avian influenza identified in dairy cattle,” wrote MBP communications lead David Hultin in an email.

“The identification of HPAI in dairy cattle should not have implications for the international movement of milk, meat or live animals. A science-based approach is encouraged as there is no risk to consumers from milk or meat consumption.”

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Producers can protect their animals and themselves against spread of disease by monitoring cattle for clinical signs, including a sudden decrease in milk production; contacting a veterinarian with any suspected cases; practicing good biosecurity measures; and contacting the provincial or national associations for any enhanced biosecurity protocols that may be available.

Affected cows have lower milk production and thicker milk. Risk of HPAI transmission to humans remains low.

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The main economic impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle has been reduced milk production, Dr. Samantha Uhrig noted. Most infected cattle have recovered.

“There’s been very few mortalities reported and they’re often associated with a secondary issue,” she said.

For the beef producer either in or just weeks past the calving season, reduced milk production becomes a matter of if there’s still enough to feed the calf.

There is investigation into where the virus is taking root in the body of infected animals, Uhrig noted but, so far, the virus seems to have a preference for mammary tissue. The few necropsies that have been done have shown little virus in other tissues.

Also, at least in New Mexico, only a small cross section of the infected dairy herds is actually getting sick. The average hovers around 10 per cent of animals in a herd.

“That really is a relatively small number in the grand scheme of things,” she said. “If there are subtle symptoms being overlooked, it’s hard to know at this point.”

Market impact is the bigger concern for the beef sector. Producers initially feared that mass dairy cullings could throw the beef market for a loop. That turned out to be unfounded as infected dairy cattle recovered, Uhrig noted. “We’ve already seen a drop in the number of cows culled from those infected dairies, so I don’t anticipate the market is going to be flooded with cull cows the way we were first concerned.”

The futures market, however, did take a hit. Speculation on the impact of dairy HPAI cases helped drop cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to their lowest in two months April 3.

“Although there has not been evidence that the virus can be passed through human food, some investors have been selling futures on fears that beef demand would decline,” Reuters reported at the time.

Experts cited in the article also noted other factors, unrelated to bird flu, contributing to the slide.

Infection status

As of April 5, the United States Department of Agriculture had confirmed the strain (labelled H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4B) in 15 dairy herds across five states: seven in Texas, two in Kansas, three in New Mexico and one each in Ohio, Idaho and Michigan. The virus was first confirmed in milk samples from Texas and Kansas in late March.

One human case, found in Texas in a person in contact with dairy cattle, had also been reported. The only symptom of that case was eye inflammation, officials later said.

On April 2, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller suggested that the outbreak may have actually started weeks earlier, when a mystery ailment blew through about 40 per cent of the state’s dairy operations.

As of the time of printing, there had been no reported cases in beef cattle.

The lack of beef cases has been a mystery for veterinarians in affected regions. “Everyone is scratching their head,” Michael Kleinhenz, a veterinarian and associate professor of dairy cattle health at Texas A&M University was quoted as saying in an early April article from Reuters.

“Here in the Texas panhandle, we have dairies next to feedlots, and cows in close proximity on range, and we’re only seeing it on dairies.”

Scarlett Madinger, vice-president of communications with the Kansas Livestock Association also noted the lack of beef cases. However, it’s “something that will remain on their radar,” she said.

“As of right now, there’s no specific steps being taken … but I think recommendations from the Kansas Department of Animal Health and upwards to the USDA would be similar to what they are for the dairies as far as making sure you’re protecting your water and feed resources from birds and wildlife as best as possible.

“I think that would apply to any livestock facility at this point, whether you’re beef or dairy. I think they would would implement any of those practices where possible.”

U.S. precautions

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture has released a list of recommendations to beef producers to keep the virus out. Those include monitoring bird activity, avoiding water sources heavily used by wild birds (a well-known vector of HPAI) and keeping water troughs as clean as possible.

Uhrig has also asked producers to separate out high-risk cattle from low-risk animals. Thus far, the virus has targeted older lactating cows.

Biosecurity efforts are also being recommended for feedlots. “Limit traffic on and off of the farm; keep speed bumps and water pumps clean on a regular basis and try to deter birds from congregating where feed and water sources are available,” Uhrig said.

There has been concerted effort from stakeholders to disseminate information to farmers, and both beef and dairy producers are more aware of the situation as a result, she added.

“We’ve been having calls almost daily to discuss this.”

One suggested cow-to-cow transmission in Idaho has been flagged, and the human case has also raised concern over how the virus can spread, but Uhrig believes there’s a strong possibility these were not direct, but a result of environmental infection.

“It’s not cow-to-cow transmission that we think we’re seeing, but cows that are maybe contaminating the environment that then allows that transfer to another cow,” she said.

At the same time, she said, “There’s still a lot of unknowns with that as we are working our way through the epidemiology and trying to understand how this transmission is occurring.”

Uhrig is also comforted by the virus’s apparent lack of hardiness.

“It doesn’t last very long in the environment. It has to have conditions that are just right. With milk, pasteurizing will kill the virus,” she said. “It doesn’t take a lot to kill the virus so elevated temperatures for a certain amount of time will certainly do that.

“And of course with the quality control that is in play in our meat and milk industry, anything that is abnormal is diverted away and destroyed so that it does not enter the food supply.”

The USDA has doubled down on messaging against the sale of raw milk and raw milk products, including cheese. Milk for human consumption must be pasteurized for interstate commerce.

American officials are also urging industry to pasteurize or heat treat any milk fed to calves or pets.

Canada does not permit the sale of raw milk, although allowances are in place for raw milk cheeses.

– With files from Reuters

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In a March 28 release, the producer group said Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has been working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as the situation develops.

It also offered new updates on the virus, which has been found in some Texas, Kansas and New Mexico dairy herds. These include:

• HPAI has not been found in cattle in Canada to date
• The HPAI virus is carried by wild birds, most notably waterfowl such as geese and ducks
• These birds are currently migrating towards Canada, but it is not yet known if the virus has been carried here
• HPAI is a zoonotic virus. It is not yet understood how it transferred from birds to cattle, but the potential for transferring from animals to humans cannot be ruled out
• It is recommended that, in addition to everyday biosecurity measures, farmers take further precautions on their farms by reducing access to any areas that may attract waterfowl such as loose feed, nesting grounds or wetland bird boxes
• If you find a dead bird on your property, do not handle it. Contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative
• It is important to be extra cognizant of introducing pathogens from the wild onto a farm. Make sure not to enter barns wearing boots that were worn off the farm. Limit access to people who have been in sensitive areas (especially the U.S.)
• It is not yet known how long it will take for symptoms to appear in affected animals
• If you detect symptoms in your herd, contact your herd vet immediately. They will then reach out to the CFIA if necessary
• If your animals become infected, remove these sick cows from your milk supply while supportive treatment is provided by your veterinarian
• In order to further reduce risks of transmission, all milk should be pasteurized before consumption as required by Canadian regulations
• Milk sold in Canada remains safe to consume as long as it comes from healthy cows and is pasteurized.

Dairy producers with affected cows are reporting high morbidity with rapid onset, especially in lactating cows, said Alberta Milk. Clinical signs include decreased milk production, including a sudden drop in production. Some severely impacted cows experience thicker, colostrum-like milk.

Affected animals also experienced decreased feed consumption with a simultaneous drop in rumen motility; abnormally tacky or loose feces and fever.

Producers with impacted herds have reported older cows in mid-lactation may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows and fresh cows or heifers.

The disease was previously identified as Texas Agalactiae Syndrome according to a March 25 release from Alberta Milk.

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