We are seeing an increase in H5N1 Bird Flu re-infection cases in our California dairy herds, particularly in the southern Central Valley where the outbreak began, with a few in Southern California. We urge all livestock and poultry farms to practice stringent biosecurity to prevent the virus from spreading to other dairy herds and surrounding livestock and poultry farms susceptible to this virus. Review the CDFA – H5N1 Regional Strategy to understand what strategies are implemented in your county to limit the spread.

Note: The USDA website reports new (first time detections) in dairies; it does not capture when a herd is cleared, ongoing cases, or reinfections on premises that had previous detections.

Bird Flu in Livestock

Biosecurity Recommendations

If importing cattle from outside California, make sure the out-of-state veterinarian has completed a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI, aka “health papers”), entry permits, and ALL required pre-movement testing. If exporting cattle out of California, make sure that all interstate movement requirements (including any HPAI testing) have been met.

For example, quarantine premises milk pick-ups should be after all non-quarantine pick-ups. Infected milk is the primary method of spreading disease. Processors may choose to dedicate certain trucks for use only on infected farms.

Quarantine paired with pre-movement testing offers the greatest protection. For heifers raised off-site, ensure that springers are either tested before movement and/or returned to the dairy and quarantined 30 days prior to calving.

Such location requirements may be difficult to meet on the home dairy and use of an alternative isolation location may be necessary.

Early segregation of infected animals into a hospital string can greatly limit within-herd spread and financial losses. Train employees to both follow the farm’s biosecurity protocols as well as report suspicious symptoms in cattle.

a.      Example of observational surveillance that can be used for H5N1 tracking AOS Herd/Group Daily Observation Form

Provide disposable gloves and N95 masks, along with non-disposable personal goggles or a face shield. At a minimum, have employees wear farm-dedicated clothing & footwear. Report any illness, particularly with respiratory, eye, and cold/flu symptoms, so they may seek medical attention.

Cleaning and disinfection of shared vehicles (particularly trailers), both before and after farm entry, is critical.

All delivery vehicles (feed, milk tankers, rendering) should use designated paths and parking areas that do not cross farm vehicle paths. Milk tankers require special consideration. Clean and disinfect (C&D) all vehicles crossing farm vehicle paths. At minimum, C&D tires and wheel wells of all trucks and trailers. Special consideration should be given to livestock hauling trailers and equipment moving between premises.

Work with essential visitors (veterinarians, artificial insemination and equipment technicians, hoof trimmers) to develop biosecurity plans tailored to their function. Regulatory inspections should follow proper biosecurity when visiting a dairy.

An enhanced biosecurity practice is for farm employees to use farm-specific boots and coveralls that never leave the dairy. This practice becomes even more important if you can’t prevent employees from having outside animal contact.

It is recommended to avoid multi-species farms to decrease opportunities for viral mutations  Biosecurity Recommendations for Multi-species Farms.

Bird Flu in Humans

For the most up to date data on bird flu cases in California, please visit CDPH’s Current Bird Flu Situation dashboard. While the risk to the general public remains low, additional human cases of bird flu are expected to be identified and confirmed in California. CDPH recommends that personal protective equipment (PPE), such as eye protection (face shields or safety goggles), respirators (N95 masks), and gloves be worn by anyone working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the bird flu virus. Wearing PPE helps prevent infection. Please see CDPH’s Worker Protection from Bird Flu for full PPE guidance. For the latest updates from CDPH, visit Bird Flu (ca.gov). If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can submit an inquiry directly to CDPH.

If anyone suspects that they are infected with the Bird Flu virus, please contact your local public health department for further direction and testing. Not all medical care facilities are equipped or have testing available.

Farmworkers Support

·       Mental Health Support for Farmworkers
CARES line 24/7
1-888-724-7240 (English and Spanish)

·       National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Text 988 or Call 1-800-273-8255
1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)

·       AgriStress Helpline
1-833-897-2474
Free and confidential crisis and support line available 24/7 with interpretation services provided in 160 languages.

·       CalHOPE Warm Line
1-833-317-HOPE (4673)

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