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California leads the nation in bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms, 17 reported outbreaks
A cow grazes in a field at a dairy farm in Petaluma earlier this year as an earlier round of warnings about a bird flu outbreak in the state were issued.
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Justin Sullivan
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Getty Images
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Topline:
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) this week confirmed seven new outbreaks of the highly pathogenic bird flu at dairy farms, bringing the total to 17 dairy farms in the Central Valley.
Why it matters: California now accounts for all but two of the nation’s recent H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in livestock over the past 30 days.
What does this mean for dairy farms: All affected dairy farms are under quarantine, and sick cows are being isolated and treated. Officials said most infected dairy cattle can fully recover from the infection within a few weeks.
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Are dairy products safe? Yes, California’s milk and dairy supply is safe to eat and drink as long as they are pasteurized, according to CDFA. Pasteurization inactivates the virus.
Are there human cases? No human cases of bird flu related to the latest outbreak have been confirmed in the state. State and federal health officials said this H5N1 virus is not considered a significant public health threat and the risk to people is considered low.
Read more…about the concerns of raw milk and bird flu in dairy.
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