Wednesday, 03 April 2024 15:25

Avian flu in cows

Written by  Milking It

A lethal form of avian influenza has been confirmed in US dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas, the US Department of Agriculture says.

It is the first time that cows infected with the virus have been identified.

The cows appear to have been infected by wild birds, and dead birds were reported on some farms, the agency said.

The Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed that the influenza subtype known as H5N1 has been identified and said that the virus resembled the version that has been spreading in birds across the nation.

Pasteurisation should inactivate the flu virus, experts said, and officials stressed that the milk supply was safe.

More like this

Feeding newborn calves

To ensure optimal growth, health, and wellbeing of calves, feeding strategies should be considered carefully.

Featured

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.

B+LNZ launches AI assistant for farmers

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter