Bird flu

Along came bird flu this spring, and who would've thought that it would affect Idaho's dairy economy? As it turns out, bird flu can jump to other species than birds. So far, veterinary officials are not putting mandatory quarantines around those dairies where some of the cows have contracted avian influenza. Doctor Rosemary Sifford, with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, says. Also, right now, there are no plans to depopulate cattle in herds with confirmed bird flu infections, and here's why. Speaker2: So far, it appears that the cattle are able to recover after a couple of weeks, go back into the milking herd. And so at this point, we do not expect to need to to depopulate cattle. Speaker1: Dairy operators across the country are being asked to step up their biosecurity efforts and to watch their cows for symptoms of avian influenza. Speaker2: The primary symptoms in dairy cattle are loss of appetite, going off feed and then a dramatic drop in milk production, and some of the cattle occasionally showed a slight fever. Speaker1: She says if you see those symptoms in your herd, contact your vet right away.