COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced today the confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, in a dairy cattle herd. This marks the first detection of HPAI in any livestock operation within the state.
The infected herd, located in Wood County, received cows earlier in March from a Texas dairy that later confirmed its own HPAI case. Ohio animal health officials became aware of the potential issue when the cows started exhibiting symptoms similar to those reported in sick dairy cattle across other states.
The cause of this unusual illness remains under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state veterinary and public health officials. Symptoms include decreased milk production, reduced appetite, and others.
Since late March, similar cases with a low mortality rate have been confirmed in dairy herds from Texas, Kansas, Idaho, New Mexico, and Michigan. Further testing, including viral genome sequencing, is underway to definitively determine if HPAI is the culprit or if another unrelated illness is causing the symptoms.
The good news for consumers is that both federal regulations and the pasteurization process ensure the safety of commercially available dairy products. Public health officials also maintain that the risk of human infection from HPAI remains low.
The ODA is working closely with industry partners and federal agencies to encourage farmers and veterinarians to report any livestock illnesses promptly. This will help in monitoring potential outbreaks and minimizing the impact on farms, workers, consumers, and other animals.
Farmers are urged to collaborate with their veterinarians to enhance biosecurity measures and restrict cattle movement within their production systems. This will help prevent the spread of disease and minimize the risk of introducing infected animals from known disease areas.
While no quarantines or movement restrictions are currently in place, the ODA is actively assessing the situation and may implement further regulatory measures based on the evolving information. Any Ohio dairy producer observing unusual clinical symptoms in their herds should immediately contact their herd veterinarian.