Last week, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued an emergency order aimed at stemming an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in cattle herds, effective May 8th.
“We’ve got a high degree of confidence here that these are reasonable safety measures in place on farms, that farms are going to be able to implement here quickly so we can continue to mitigate spread of the virus,” said Tim Boring, director of MDARD.
The order requires all dairy farms and commercial poultry farms to essentially quarantine their animals from visitors. Farmers must designate a biosecurity manager and establish disinfection practices, a line of separation marking the secure area and maintain a log of vehicles and visitors that cross into the secure area. The log book could be provided to MDARD on request.
All lactating dairy cattle, poultry and cattle from infected herds are prohibited from exhibition until the state detects no new cases of HPAI for at least 30 days.
“These steps combined with last week’s USDA federal order are the most comprehensive measures in the country,” Boring said. “Implementing these measures measures must be the highest priority for every farm and every agricultural worker.”
Federal regulations announced in April require lactating cattle to be tested for HPAI before being moved across state lines. Michigan has six confirmed instances of HPAI infecting cattle herds, the third most of any state experiencing an outbreak.
“The measures outlined in this order are fundamental to limit the spread and impact of this virus by requiring dairy farms to implement enhanced biosecurity practices and reducing the movement of susceptible species,” said Nora Wineland, state veterinarian with MDARD.
Officials have emphasized that the virus currently poses little risk to humans, though health agencies have said they will continue monitoring the situation and encourage anyone working directly with infected animals to see their healthcare provider if they experience flu-like symptoms.
Experts have also said that while fragments of the virus have been found in commercial milk, pasteurization remains effective in killing the live virus in all samples analyzed.
One Northern Michigan lawmaker is raising concerns that the regulations may be too strict and place an undue burden on family-owned farms.
“There’s not a lot of employers on these farms,” said Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “So to manage every person who’s coming going in off the off the farm is difficult logistically.”
Cavitt also raised concerns about the length of the emergency order, which was issued without a clear end date. Boring said that the order is intentionally open-ended to ensure the cases remain low before standard practices are restored.
“We’re just concerned about taking care of our family farms. It just seems so much that state governments always willing to help corporations, but not willing to tend to our small businesses,” Cavitt said.
