Fresno Co. Farmers to take measures to prevent Avian Flu
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The avian flu is posing a potential risk to the dairy industry nationwide, and it even has the attention of California dairy farmers.
The FDA announced on April 23 that cow milk sold at grocery stores in multiple states tested positive for H5N1. It even has infected a dairy worker in Texas, but so far, California has not confirmed any cases.
“This is a very critical issue and it’s pretty much popped up out of nowhere,” Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen said.
Ryan Jacobsen confirmed that eight U.S. states have confirmed H5N1 cases in milk-producing cows, with Idaho and New Mexico being the closest infected states to California.
“California is not one of those states at this time, but a lot of safeguards are being put into place so that hopefully California can ward this off,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen says California has a plan in place to try and prevent the virus from entering the state.
“Fortunately right now there is no impact to the food supply. The food supply is safe, but nevertheless, this is an issue when it comes to the actual cow health itself. And so making sure that you have prevention is number one. But if you do get it, making sure that those cows are in quarantine,” Jacobsen said.
California has nearly 1.7 million dairy cows. That’s the most dairy cows in the country, with the majority in the San Joaquin Valley.
“We produce about one in five glasses of milk. It’s also California’s number one product. It is the most valuable product. You know, as far as the on-farm income up and down the state of California, they’re so, so extraordinarily important,” Jacobsen said.
