GILLETTE, Wyo. — The potential fallout from a Wyoming dairy herd’s infection by highly pathogenic avian influenza could strain dairy farms’ bottom line, drawing economic concerns due to decreased milk production.
According to the University of Wyoming Extension Office, HPAI was recently identified in a Wyoming dairy herd, making the Cowboy State the 12th state to have a confirmed case among 80 herds nationwide. While federal and state agencies say the disease poses little direct risk to humans, the economic impact could be significant.
Wyoming State Veterinarian Hallie Hasel says the primary concern is dairy production losses, as the disease has been associated with decreased milk production.
“The detection of HPAI in a Wyoming dairy herd is an economic challenge to the state’s dairy industry,” the extension office says. “The immediate decrease in production for infected herds directly affects farm revenue.”
In Michigan, a dairy herd’s milk production decreased by 21 pounds per animal after the herd was infected with HPAI, resulting in a $30,000–$40,000 loss in the first 15 days of infection, the extension office says.
The economic impact increases further when factoring in the purchase of supportive measures. Labor costs go up due to the sanitation and treatment of infected animals, per the extension office.
Affected farms may undergo financial instability, and the extension office says understanding and mitigating the long-term effects of HPAI on dairy production and herd management will prove critical for dairy producers’ bottom lines.
“The Wyoming Livestock Board encourages all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their herd veterinarian immediately if their cattle appear symptomatic,” Hassel said in a statement.
Symptoms for HPAI include a drop in milk production, loss of appetite, changes in manure consistency, thickened or colostrum-like milk and low-grade fever, according to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, which says producers should limit visitors and exclude any wild birds or animals from the dairy.
Per the WDA, dairies are required to ensure only milk from healthy animals enters the food chain and the pasteurization process of heating milk to a high temperature renders it safe for human consumption.
“There is currently no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health,” the WDA says, adding that it plans to coordinate with federal and state partners to monitor the emerging HPAI issue.
