So far, concerns about avian influenza in area livestock have been unfounded.
Lyon County Extension ag agent Brian Rees had an update on KVOE’s Morning Show Newsmaker segment Wednesday:
The Kansas Department of Agriculture says it has been working “actively” with the state’s dairy industry in response to nationwide concerns. KDA also says federal testing of the commercial milk supply has confirmed the effectiveness of the standard pasteurization process. A federal rule that went into effect last month requires lactating dairy cattle to be tested and get a negative result before being moved to other states. Any positive results must be reported to USDA.
There have been four confirmed cases where bird flu has been identified in dairy cattle across Kansas. So far, there have been no reports of avian influenza, either in birds or livestock, in any area county.
Farmers and ranchers are also advised to practice “good” biosecurity measures, including limiting movement of vehicles and visitors on and off properties, separating domestic and wild animals as much as possible, minimizing cattle movement and monitoring animals for bird flu symptoms.
