Since the start of the Avian Flu outbreaks in 2022, hundreds of millions of bird died from the virus. In 2023, the virus took hold in mammals, and in March of 2024, the first infections were documented in dairy cows. To date, the virus has affected 1,074 herds across 17 states. Avian flu may have disappeared from headlines but it remains as much of a threat as ever to public health. Last year the first confirmed human US cases were confirmed: 70 human cases have been confirmed so far, although this number is widely considered to be an undercount due to very limited testing.
Beyond the direct health impacts to people, bird flu has taken a huge economic toll. A new study of a single dairy farm in Ohio shows that Avian flu cost the farm $737,500 in losses, not counting the additional damages from reproductive losses and altered herd dynamics. The virus resulted in lower milk production, cow death and premature removal of a cow herd, all of which resulted in economic losses. As bird flu circulates among dairy cows, poultry farms and wild animals, experts continue to call for stronger measures to contain the virus’s spread.
Even if they [the cows] recover that’s going to cost a dairy farmer $367 on average in milk losses,” explained Matthew MacLachlan, one of the study’s authors. “Although there are some government support programs for dairy farmers, they aren’t as generous as they are for poultry farmers.”
Full Story: CIDRAP, Scientific American
