
Dairy cattle

Bird flu pushes US dairy farmers to ban visitors, chop trees
North Carolina joins total states reporting outbreaks of avian influenza dairy herds
Dairy farmers in the United States are raising their defenses to try to contain the spread of bird flu: banning visitors, cutting down trees to discourage wild birds from landing, and disinfecting vehicles coming onto their land.

Seventeen U.S. states restrict cattle imports from avian flu-infected areas
Several U.S. states have restricted cattle imports from states that have seen infections of avian influenza Type A H5N1 in dairy herds.

Flu outbreak sees buyers balk at beef futures
Cash prices fairly level; beef producers should look into risk management tools, analysts say
Markets have seen cattle futures (mainly live and fed) decline in recent weeks as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain made its way into dairy herds in six states to date. The good news, said a cattle auction leader and market expert, is that cash prices have remained more-or-less steady amid the chaos.

U.S. cattle vets rename bovine bird-flu
CDC asks state health authorities to have plans in place to test, treat farm workers; says risk to humans still low
An organization representing American cattle veterinarians has opted to refer to bird flu in cattle as bovine influenza A virus, or BIAV, in hopes of distancing it from its avian counterpart.

EU provisionally agrees to Ukraine farm import curbs
The European Union provisionally agreed on Monday to restrictions on Ukrainian food imports, which some EU members say have destabilized the bloc's agricultural markets.

USDA sheds new light on bird flu dairy herd infections
Virus may have been spread through milking equipment, dairy workers
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated stakeholders on how a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain may have spread to dairy cattle in several states yesterday.

Preventing and prepping for a foot-and-mouth outbreak
Canada has lined up funding for an improved vaccine bank in case of a foot-and-mouth outbreak. But does that mean we’re ready?
In 2001, foot-and-mouth disease decimated the U.K.’s beef industry. Millions of animals were culled after foot-and-mouth broke out in the country. According to the BBC, there were 2,000 cases of the disease, which resulted in entire farms having their animals slaughtered. Soldiers dug mass graves and piles of carcasses burned, black smoke billowing into the […] Read more

Explainer: Avian flu in dairy cows warrants close attention
Farmers should identify unusual signs of disease in cattle and have them examined by a veterinarian
An emerging disease syndrome was originally identified in dairy cows in Texas. These cows were identified by animal care workers and veterinarians as having the main clinical signs of reduced milk production and decreased feed intake. Approximately 10 per cent of the cows seem to show clinical signs on affected farms. No deaths occurred and cows seemed to recover with supportive care within two to three weeks. However, loss of milk production was significant. These same farms reported deceased wild birds on their properties.

World food prices rebound from three-year low, says UN agency
World food prices rebounded in March from a three-year low, boosted by increases in vegetable oils, meat and dairy products, according to the United Nations food agency's latest price index.

Bird flu dairy cow outbreak widens in Ohio, Kansas, New Mexico
Bird flu has infected a dairy herd in Ohio for the first time and was detected in additional herds in Kansas and New Mexico, according to the U.S. government, expanding an outbreak in cows that has raised concerns about possible risks to humans.