B+LNZ Urges Farmers to Graze Lucerne Hard Before Winter Weed Control
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is reminding farmers with lucerne stands to graze them hard over the next few weeks in preparation for a winter weed control programme.
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.
