Bird flu has hit California dairies so hard that they’re calling it ‘COVID for cows’
Bird flu has hit California dairies so hard that they’re calling it ‘COVID for cows’
The virus has spread rapidly in California, the nation’s largest producer of milk. Farmers are frustrated that their herds are getting infected despite various precautions.
Summary
A severe avian flu outbreak, dubbed “COVID for cows,” is devastating California’s dairy industry, infecting herds at 645 dairies and reducing milk production.
Despite stringent biosecurity measures, the highly contagious H5N1 virus has spread statewide, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
Farmworkers, many undocumented, face high exposure risks, with 34 reported cases of human infection in California.
Poultry farms have also suffered, losing millions of hens and causing egg shortages. Scientists are investigating alternative transmission routes as the crisis strains agriculture and food supplies.
Ahem: Cowvid.
Seriously, it was right there.
for cows
Not for long!
Unpasteurized milk for all, drink up chuds!
Bovid