Iowa became the 10th state with confirmed bird flu infections in dairy cows last week, with two herds confirmed in northwest Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture says it plans to test dairy farms around infected poultry sites.
The director of Community Health Partners in Sioux County, Teri Bos says her team follows up with farm workers after there’s been a confirmed livestock infection. “At the national level, at the state level but also at the county level, this is something that is an emerging illness and we are taking it very seriously,” she says. Two dairy workers in Michigan and one in Texas have tested positive for the virus and Bos says that’s why it is important to keep on top of the situation.
“We want to identify the people who are at risk, which is those who’ve been exposed to an infected flock or herd and monitor them for new symptoms,” Bos says. Bos says those who are not near the animal operations don’t have to worry. “For the general public, the general public’s at very low risk,” she says. The U-S Food and Drug Administration says the national milk supply remains safe. The agency is monitoring dairy products and says pasteurization kills the virus in milk, and they warn against drinking raw milk.
(By Rachel Cramer, Iowa Public Radio)