Bird Flu alert - Human case linked to Texas dairy cows

Apr 02, 2024

By Farms.com

A person in Texas contracts bird flu after contact with infected dairy cows. The Texas Department of State Health Services warns health providers to watch for symptoms amid the spread of avian influenza in cattle.

Avian influenza, typically spread by wild birds, poses minimal risk of human-to-human transmission. However, close contact with infected animals increases the likelihood of infection.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms bird flu in dairy herds across multiple states, including Texas, Kansas, and Michigan. Presumptive positive cases emerge in Idaho, New Mexico, and Texas.

Regulatory measures and pasteurization ensure the safety of the commercial milk supply. Still, the outbreak highlights the need for vigilance and cooperation among health and agriculture authorities.

Livestock producers face rapid changes as avian influenza affects cattle. Prompt detection and response are essential to mitigating the spread and impact of the virus on both human and animal health.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER AND GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to hit 10,000 subscribers, and when we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn. Sign up for exclusive access to tickets and details.