The CFIA has tested 1,000 raw milk samples across Canada, including 336 in Western Canada. All have returned negative for the virus
As an avian flu outbreak overwhelms California’s dairy industry, B.C. animal health officials and farmers say they are watching and ready to act.
California has declared a state of emergency as what the New York Times recently called “COVID for cows” has infected three-quarters of the state’s dairy herds and several farm workers over the past four months. California is the largest producer of milk in the U.S.
Evidence suggests the virus is being spread from cow to cow, not from wild birds to cows, said B.C.’s chief veterinarian Dr. Theresa Burns. The first sick cows were detected in Texas in March, but the virus has since hit herds in 15 other states, likely spread through animal movement. The avian flu strain that has been found in dairy cows is different than the strain that has spread through B.C. poultry flocks and wild birds.
No sick cows have been found in B.C. or Canada.
Abbotsford dairy farmer Casey Pruim said cattle movement across the Canada-U.S. border has “slowed to a trickle” due to strict testing and paperwork aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. “You’re still allowed to do it, but it’s very cumbersome.”
While avian flu doesn’t cause the same mass fatalities in cows as it does in poultry, B.C. dairy farmers are on alert for sick animals and following “heightened” biosecurity measures, including limiting the amount of people on farms, he said.
“As a farmer, day to day, it’s not something that’s causing a lot of concern, but we need to be cognizant of it and take the proper steps,” said Pruim, who is chair of the B.C. Dairy board.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is testing unpasteurized milk at processing plants across the country. As of early December, almost 1,000 raw milk samples had been tested, including 336 in Western Canada, all returning negative, according to the agency’s website. The CFIA has also been testing pasteurized milk sold at stores since May, with all samples returning negative.
The U.S. announced national milk testing in December.
Burns said herds in the U.S. are typically quarantined after the virus is detected. Sick cows will have a fever and lose their appetite. While most recovery fully, some do not, and when they return their milk production is lower. As the virus moves through a herd, it can interrupt milk production for several weeks. Milk from sick cows is discarded and only accepted again once there are several clear tests over a period of time.
In a statement announcing the state of emergency Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was a “targeted action” to ensure government had the resources and flexibility to move quickly to respond to the outbreak.
Burns said staff at the B.C. agriculture ministry have strong connections with their counterparts in Washington State, where there hasn’t been an outbreak in a dairy herd, and she felt confident in the state’s ability to respond to any cases.
Burns said Canada has a rigorous food safety system, and pasteurized milk won’t make people sick. Raw milk should not be consumed. Animal health officials have plans in place to respond in the case of an outbreak in B.C.
The human illnesses in the U.S. have been linked to contact with sick cows or poultry.
American officials announced Wednesday that a person in Louisiana has the first severe human case of bird flu in the U.S. The patient, who is over 65 and had underlying health conditions, had been in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks on their property.
The B.C. health ministry declined to provide any further updates on a B.C. teen who was hospitalized with Canada’s first case of avian flu several weeks ago. An extensive investigation identified no additional cases or evidence of human-to-human transmission. While the source of the teen’s infection could not be determined, the strain of the virus was the same as that found in wild birds. As of late November, the young person remained in critical condition in hospital.
Burns said it is too soon to say if the avian flu outbreak that has impacted 73 B.C. poultry farms this fall, including 50 in November and 13 so far in December, is beginning to ease. Last year and the year before, the outbreak tapered off around the new year as wild birds continue their southward migration and there was less standing water on farmers’ fields in the colder months.
“We’re certainly hopeful and it looks promising, but it’s too soon to say if that trend will continue this year as well,” she said.