Avian Influenza Showing Up In Iowa Dairy Cattle

Iowa has its first reported case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says the affected farm is a dairy herd of 4500 head in O’Brien County, located in the northwest corner of the state.  More than 80 dairy cases of bird flu have been confirmed on farms in South Dakota, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado. There is no concern about the safety of pasteurized milk or dairy products, according to the USDA. Pasteurization is effective at killing bacteria and viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to believe the threat to the general public remains low.