Sen. McBroom speaks after Michigan man tests positive for bird flu
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Since the latest outbreak of avian flu, which began on March 29th, there have been 2 cases of human’s contracting the influenza A – H5N1 virus.
The first incident was reported in Texas, while the second reported case was reported here in Michigan. In both cases the individuals had very mild symptoms and recovered quickly. It is extremely rare for bird flu to spread from human to human.
Currently health officials believe it is only affecting poultry and cattle populations. The bird flu is now being reported in 9 Michigan counties. The current outbreak has now affected more than 90 million birds nationwide and has infected 52 herds of cattle nationwide, making it the worst outbreak of avian flu in American history.
Michigan State Senator Ed McBroom, a dairy farmer himself, explains how this current outbreak spread to Michigan.
“This year, the strain mutated down in Texas, got into some dairy cattle, and unfortunately before that was known, a number of dairy cattle from that farm were shipped to, I believe, eight other states, including Michigan,” said McBroom.
“Since then, it has spread across a number of dairy farms, up to 20 now in Michigan. And that particular mutated strain did get into our domestic poultry from those dairy farms,” McBroom said, “and we’ve already had to indemnified more than 10 million egg laying chickens, turkeys, other poultry. So, it’s been quite the blow to the poultry industry as well.”
“The biggest, most important news, I think, for the general public, though, is that the milk and the meat remain exceptionally safe,” added McBroom. “Pasteurization, once again, is proven to destroy this virus like it does other foodborne illnesses that otherwise have spread through milk for centuries,”
State health officials say that after an animal health emergency was issued on May 1, Michigan now has the most comprehensive testing in the country. So far Michigan leads the nation with 20 infected herds all occurring downstate.
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