Cache Valley • After the first case of the avian flu to hit the state was confirmed at a commercial poultry flock in Cache County earlier this month – resulting in the killing of nearly two million chickens – the illness made its way to eight commercial dairies in the valley.
The infected dairies have been placed under quarantine, and have been asked to implement biosecurity measures to prevent the further spread of the virus, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food announced Wednesday. Unlike in poultry, the disease is not fatal to dairy cattle, and the animals recover in a few weeks, the department said.
“Enacting mandatory surveillance and animal movement restrictions are important steps in preventing the further spread of this disease,” State Veterinarian Daniel Christensen said in a news release. " At this time we don’t anticipate any major impacts on the food supply and the overall impacts to individual dairies are relatively minimal.”
The recent detections of the illness still do not present an immediate public health concern, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People who come into regular contact with dairy cattle should contact their local health department if they show symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, eye irritation, headaches, runny nose, body aches, diarrhea or vomiting, the release said. Signs of the avian flu in dairy cattle include decreased milk production, thicker milk, a lack of appetite, dehydration and a fever.
UDAF is asking livestock owners and veterinarians to report signs of illness immediately to the state veterinarian’s office at statevet@utah.gov.
