Bird flu has infected Idaho dairy farms. Is the state prepared for an outbreak?

Elizabeth Walsh, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) – Bird flu microorganism has been a longstanding rumor successful Idaho, having plagued Idaho’s poultry and waterfowl populations for years. But this year’s strain is bringing thing caller — its expertise to infect cows.

Since cows from a Texas dairy workplace successful March marked nan first U.S. lawsuit of a cattle infected pinch H5N1, nan latest strain, nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nan microorganism has dispersed to 12 states, including Idaho. Dairy workers and nationalist wellness officials are now grappling pinch really to protect an manufacture worthy billions of dollars to nan state, according to nan Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

Cassia County dairy cows were nan first to go infected after vulnerability to Texas-imported cattle successful March, and nan microorganism has now dispersed to astatine slightest 21 different dairy operations successful Idaho — galore of which person not been exposed to out-of-state cattle, according to nan Department of Agriculture.

State officials and nan Dairymen’s Association told nan Idaho Statesman dairy farms are doing their champion to trim nan dispersed of H5N1.

“As champion we can, we’re trying to thief retired dairy operations to protect their workers and make judge they person nan accusation connected hand,” Idaho State Epidemiologist Christine Hahn told nan Statesman, “and tin determine nan things that are really astir captious … (to) support infection perchance from spreading from installation to facility.”

Dairies struggle pinch losses from H5N1

Cows sick pinch H5N1 tin importantly effect dairy workplace revenue. The hardest-hit dairies tin suffer up to 20% of their beverage accumulation for up to a month, Rick Naerebout, main executive serviceman of nan Idaho Dairymen’s Association, told nan Statesman. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners estimated that H5N1 infections tin origin a financial nonaccomplishment of up to $200 per cow.

But Idaho dairy farmers person been reluctant to study H5N1 cases and to springiness regulatory agencies unfastened entree to their operations. That entree tin see “invasive” requests from nan USDA for nasal swabs and humor tests connected workers and regular testing of cows, Naerebout said. He said dairy farmers successful Idaho would beryllium consenting to supply anonymous information and study testing but wouldn’t want to beryllium identified.

Farmers besides haven’t yet seen nan compensation they were promised from nan USDA, Naerebout added, which is partially why they’re hesitant to stock much information. The USDA is required to compensate farmers for 90% of mislaid beverage accumulation that is owed to H5N1, but dairy farms successful Idaho person yet to spot unfastened applications for mislaid beverage reimbursement, Naerebout said.

Marissa Perry, a spokesperson for nan USDA, told nan Statesman by email that nan agency is moving to make nan backing disposable soon. Naerebout declined to opportunity really overmuch compensation he’s expecting dairy farms to need.

“There’s been small upside for dairy producers coming guardant and inviting agencies connected their dairy,” Naerebout told nan Statesman. “Just because location is simply a hesitation to induce national agencies into our cognition doesn’t mean that nan dairymen aren’t doing nan correct point and taking each nan due precautions to effort and forestall dispersed to different dairies and their workers.”

Idaho responds to H5N1 cases

Hahn, nan authorities epidemiologist, said nan Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is moving pinch nan Department of Agriculture and nan Dairymen’s Association to supply individual protective equipment. The Dairymen’s Association has besides helped to supply protective instrumentality to its members done nan National Stockpile, a nationalist repository, Hahn said.

Idaho’s State Veterinarian Scott Leibsle noted that galore dairy workers wore protective instrumentality moreover earlier reported H5N1 cases because cows often transportation different viruses aliases bacteria.

While location has yet to beryllium a affirmative quality lawsuit successful Idaho, immoderate infected workers will beryllium offered nan antiviral Tamiflu astatine nary cost, Hahn said, which was recommended by nan CDC. If workers cognize they were exposed aliases deliberation they mightiness beryllium sick, they tin scope retired to their wellness territory and supply a sample, Hahn told nan Statesman. The sample is sent to a nationalist wellness lab, and nan results tin beryllium received arsenic quickly arsenic wrong 24 hours.

But Idaho’s restrictions stay looser than immoderate states. At nan tallness of cattle accumulation season, Minnesota, for example, is restricting cattle shows, and requiring cows to person antagonistic H5N1 trial results and a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, according to nan Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Most of Idaho’s H5N1 information protocols, for illustration individual protection equipment, are recommendations and not requirements.

“What nan workplace workers do is really their business,” Hahn said.

What we cognize astir vertebrate flu

One hurdle to stopping nan dispersed of vertebrate flu is nan deficiency of accusation astir really it’s transmitted among cows. The microorganism spreads successful birds done their saliva, mucous and feces. According to nan CDC, that’s apt really cows were initially infected successful March, done contaminated nutrient and h2o sources — but it’s unclear really nan microorganism has dispersed since then.

“While birds whitethorn still beryllium spreading nan virus, we’re still trying to fig it out,” Leibsle told nan Statesman. “Is it from cattle movement, microorganism connected your boots aliases your tires aliases connected equipment?”

Identifying contamination risks and stiffening up protocols connected individual protective instrumentality will beryllium important for containing nan dispersed successful Idaho, Leibsle said.

To get a amended knowing of microorganism spread, nan Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has started to look for H5N1 successful wastewater samples, Hahn said, which is simply a testing method that gained fame during COVID-19. H5N1 has shown up “a fewer times successful 1 of nan Boise wastewater curen plants,” Hahn said, though nan agency hasn’t identified nan root of nan particles.

Testing for H5N1 successful wastewater could someday springiness valuable accusation astir nan beingness and dispersed of nan microorganism and pass officials astir a imaginable outbreak, Hahn told nan Statesman.

If an outbreak were to happen, “we’re emotion overmuch much assured than COVID-19 that we would beryllium capable to respond quickly should we commencement to spot cases successful humans,” Hahn said.