Biosecurity has been a major topic in the poultry and dairy industries lately after High Path Avian Flu made the jump from birds to dairy cattle. While the virus has not caused significant illness in the affected cattle, producers remain vigilant.
The National Milk Producers Federation recently sat down with two animal health experts to get their take on what these infections mean for the industry. They say training for biosecurity can be challenging because it is not a threat that can be seen, and you sometimes have to gain a whole new way of thinking.
“The first thing we’re starting with is trying to create that culture of our employees and actually of our neighbors, too, because it’s quite the training process to train your neighbors and all the folks, salesmen, supply people. You’ve got to train them to what the behaviors that you expect now. We can get to some interesting conversations with people, but usually they come around and go, “Okay, I understand. I understand now why you’re taking all these precautions,” said Karen Jordan.
Eight states have confirmed the virus in dairy herds. However, health officials stress there is no risk to the commercial milk supply, emphasizing dairy producers can only sell milk from healthy animals and pasteurization eliminates harmful bacteria.
