Nebraska recorded its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle, joining 16 other states affected by the disease since March 2024, according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The case in a central Nebraska dairy was announced Sept. 15, after initial detection from pre-movement milk samples.
This was the first HPAI detection in dairy in the state, although the first dairy confirmed with HPAI in the U.S. was announced in March 2024.
While HPAI causes high mortality in birds, cattle deaths are rare. However, dairy producers must take immediate action to protect their herds because infected cattle experience dramatic drops in milk production.
Second-lactation dairy cows typically suffer the most severe effects from HPAI. Younger calves recover more quickly and are less affected.
“They will go from milking 80 pounds of milk a day down to 2. It's a significant drop in milk production," says Kris Bousquet, executive director of the Nebraska State Dairy Association. “The milk also turns yellow instead of white. There will be fever, and they will reduce feed and water intake. It mimics a nasty virus, similar to milk fever.”
Equip your farm
Prevention is key to avoid big milk production drops. The best way is to have a solid biosecurity plan in place, and share the plan with employees.
“The most important thing to remember is that mechanical transmission spreads the virus, and good biosecurity practices prevent its spread,” Bousquet explains. “Look at your biosecurity practices and how employees handle personal protective equipment.”
All employees must understand biosecurity protocols.
“There's significant virus in the milk of impacted cattle, so measures should be taken to prevent contact between impacted milk and workers and other cows,” says Christin Kamm, communications director for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA). “Truck washes should prevent virus spread on milk trucks visiting affected premises, and appropriate PPE should be available for on-site workers.”
Kamm adds that workers should understand transmission risks to other livestock operations if they work multiple jobs, or live with someone employed at another livestock facility.
To protect employees and cattle, these practices are crucial, but Bousquet encourages producers to use common sense. He says requiring employees to wear too much PPE can cause dehydration or a bigger workplace issue.
For biosecurity information, visit the Big Red Biosecurity website created by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Economic impact
While it is important to note that cattle loss is rare when they contract HPAI, there is also a big economic impact when milk production is slowed significantly.
“You're losing money because you don't have the volume of milk, and then your inputs are also rising at the same time with veterinarian care, because you must provide the care to these animals to keep them alive,” Bousquet says. “It’s a significant negative hit.”
From a consumer standpoint, the milk that is bought at the grocery store is safe for consumption because of testing. The milk from cattle infected with HPAI is dumped and not put into the milk supply from healthy cattle.
“Farmers cannot milk adulterated milk into their tanks,” Bousquet says. “So, if they visibly see a cow with signs of illness, that milk will not go into the tank. The other milk within the herd that doesn't show signs or symptoms of the virus is fine, so they can continue milking the healthy animals.”
Thanks to the pasteurization process, healthy cattle on the farm can still produce milk to hit grocery store shelves.
It is always important to have secure biosecurity measures in place on a livestock operation. However, with the recent outbreak of HPAI in a Nebraska dairy, it is crucial to follow these plans.
Keep up to date on HPAI in Nebraska at the NDA website.