Updated
Updated · KSL.com · Jul 23
Weber County Declares Emergency Over Avian Flu at 4 Dairies as Milk Output Drops 10,000 Pounds
Updated
Updated · KSL.com · Jul 23

Weber County Declares Emergency Over Avian Flu at 4 Dairies as Milk Output Drops 10,000 Pounds

2 articles · Updated · KSL.com · Jul 23

Summary

  • Four of Weber County’s nine dairies have been hit by avian flu, prompting commissioners to declare a state of emergency that opens access to state and federal aid, including low-interest loans.
  • Impacted farms are losing 6,000 to 10,000 pounds of milk per day, while the virus can also hurt cows’ reproductive capacity and add to producers’ financial losses.
  • The county’s resolution says infected herds may face quarantine and monitoring for up to 90 days, and Farm Bureau president Bren Edwards warned two or three more dairies could be affected because transmission is high.
  • The 30-day emergency follows a similar declaration in Box Elder County earlier this month after the strain, first detected around last May in Cache Valley, spread south into Weber County.

Insights

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If not just milking gear, what is the hidden driver of H5N1's rapid spread among dairy cows?
Avian flu is adapting to mammals. How close are we to a strain that can jump between humans?