Md. Agriculture Dept. urges cattle, poultry owners to boost ‘biosecurity’ amid bird flu outbreak

Following a recent human case of H5N1 identified in Texas, commonly known as “bird flu,” the Maryland Department of Agriculture is placing restrictions on cattle movement and transportation in order to prevent bird flu from spreading into the state. The department is also urging poultry and livestock owners to up their biosecurity measures.

As the name implies, avian or bird flu is typically found in birds, though there have been cases identified in mammals as well. But for the first time, H5N1 has been identified in herds of cattle across the United States, raising flags for public health officials.

Cases of avian flu have been detected in dairy cows located in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina and New Mexico, but have not yet been identified in Maryland.

That said, the Maryland Department of Agriculture wants cattle and poultry owners to up their “biosecurity measures” to prevent the virus from spreading into the state, according to an announcement Wednesday.

Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks issued an order restricting the movement and transfer of cattle from another state that has had a “confirmed detection” of avian flu except under certain conditions. The order will be effective through May 29, unless revoked sooner.

The department urges owners of poultry and cattle to stay vigilant for signs of illness and to notify state agriculture officials if they suspect one of their animals has contracted bird flu.

A recent post from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health explains that “what’s sparking concern among scientists and public health officials alike is the recent discovery of the virus in dairy cows and the subsequent infection of a dairy farm employee — the second person in America ever documented to be infected with H5N1.”

“The virus has now spread to 16 herds in six states according to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), fueling concerns about potential further transmission to humans,” the article said.

The risk of transmission through the consumption of commercial diary milk is low as the product is pasteurized before being sold, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

The advisory is primarily for poultry and livestock owners, and emphasized that current risk for the general public is low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there have been two cases of H5N1 identified among humans within the United States, the recent Texas case and a case identified in Colorado two years ago. The severity of human infections range from “no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death.” Symptoms can include fever, coughs, sore throat, body aches, fatigue or even pneumonia.

To avoid coming in contact with the virus, the CDC says that people should avoid exposures to sick or dead animals.

Farmers, workers and veterinarians should have proper personal protective equipment “when in direct contact with sick or dead birds or other animals, carcasses, feces, or litter from potentially infected birds or other animals,” the CDC says.

The CDC notes that the general public can still eat “properly handled and cooked poultry.” Eggs and poultry products cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses, the CDC advises.

Last week, the CDC urged state health and agriculture officials to be prepared to respond if the situation begins to pose a greater risk to public health.

The agency recommended “that state public health officials engage with their state veterinarians and agriculture department officials to ensure that they have up-to-date operational plans to respond to avian influenza at the state level.”

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