An animal disease expert says dairy farms should look for ways to step up biosecurity efforts to better protect humans and livestock from highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Dr. Keith Poulsen with the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Center tells Brownfield besides vaccines, the two common ways to control viruses are biosecurity and restricted or permitted movement amongst farms. “Limit traffic on and off the farm on one or two critical control points where you can have a line of separation, and that’s all really detailed in the National Milk (Producers Federation guidelines) along with Secure Milk and Secure Beef websites.”
Poulsen says adding biosecurity measures can be costly for dairy farmers. “It’s expensive. It’s hard to do. There isn’t an immediate return on investment.”
Paulson tells dairy producers buying additional cows for the herd not to take chances. “Before I would bring any lactating animal onto the farm, I would want it tested. Not just up to 30 in a shipment, I would want every single one of those animals tested, and if that wasn’t possible, I would want them to come from a herd that is having their bulk tank tested either weekly or monthly.”
Poulsen says the dairy industry is significantly behind the poultry and swine industries on biosecurity measures, and every improvement helps slow the spread of the virus.
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