Cows in five states across the US have recently tested positive for avian flu. Texas, Kansas, and Michigan have confirmed cases of the potentially deadly disease, and New Mexico and Idaho have noted possible cases. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, this is the first known instance of dairy cows contracting Avian Flu. This news comes just days after confirmation of Bird Flu cases in goats in Minnesota.  

Is Bird Flu Another Impending Pandemic?

Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza, is a type A flu virus that is often fatal to birds and potentially deadly to humans. It is commonly spread from one bird to another. Humans who have contact with an infected bird can also contract the disease. Human-to-human transmission is thought to be “extremely rare.”  

Strain H5N1, the same strain recently discovered in United States dairy cows, has killed over 130 people across Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt, China, and Iraq since 2003. Wild birds often suffer from Avian Influenza, and outbreaks are known to affect commercial flocks significantly.  

Bird Flu symptoms in birds include diarrhea, difficulty breathing, swollen head, and even death. Humans experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, headache, and aching muscles. Other potential complications in humans can be eye infections, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and brain and heart inflammation. In the most extreme cases, bird flu can cause death.  

Avian Flu and Dairy Production  

While animal rights activists are concerned with the well-being of the cows who have contracted Avian flu, farmers are often more focused on the potential financial repercussions. A severe bird flu outbreak among dairy cows could adversely affect dairy production, just as an outbreak among chickens can affect egg production.  

However, the USDA claims no recall is necessary because dairies are already required to destroy or divert any milk from infected animals. Farms can process only milk from healthy cows for human consumption.  

“Understanding the details surrounding the transfer of avian virus to livestock is the top priority of animal health professionals and agriculture agencies. While troubling, this outbreak is not currently expected to threaten our nation’s commercial dairy supply.” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. 

H1N1 Transmission  

Many wild birds, such as pigeons, blackbirds, and grackles, are possible carriers of bird flu on commercial farms. Once bird flu enters a farm system, it quickly passes from one bird to the next. Rather than treating the affected birds, farmers typically kill all potentially exposed birds regardless of whether they show signs of the virus.  

Avian flu has killed millions of birds around the world. It has also affected many mammal populations, including seals, sea lions, and polar bears. This recent incident is the first time Bird flu has been discovered among dairy cows, however. It is not known for sure how the cows were initially infected. Farmers worry that the virus will spread throughout entire herds of dairy cows. We cannot rule out the possibility of cow-to-cow transmission. The USDA notes that cows affected by avian flu have recovered “after isolation with little to no associated mortality reported.”  

Humanity and Bird Flu  

Statistics show that bird flu is easily transmitted from birds to humans. Anyone who has close contact with sick birds is at risk. There is little evidence to suggest that bird flu passes readily from one person to another, but we cannot dismiss the possibility.  

Researchers were initially unsure if the virus passes from cows to humans, but one confirmed case of cow-to-human transmission in Texas answers this question. The individual reported mild symptoms after having contact with a cow suspected of being infected. According to the CDC, this is only the second case of a human contracting bird flu in the United States.  

What Happens if a Bird Flu Outbreak Occurs on a Farm?  

Using our tax dollars, the government compensates farmers for birds killed by culling. However, the government does not compensate farms for birds that die from bird flu. This encourages farmers to kill off every bird in their possession rather than attempt to treat them. It does not matter if one or a thousand birds are infected—the process is still the same.  

Workers often do this by increasing the heat in barns that house thousands of birds. This process causes heat stroke and, ultimately, death. Animal welfare organizations and many veterinarians consider this cruel and unnecessary, as the birds suffer a great deal before dying.  

Farmers have killed more than 82 million farmed birds since February of 2022 in efforts to curtail avian flu outbreaks and use taxpayer money to pay for every death. Critics of large-scale commercial farming insist that these payments only encourage farmers to continue these cruel practices.

“By compensating commercial farmers for their losses with no strings attached, the federal government is encouraging poultry growers to continue the very practices that heighten the risk of contagion, increasing the need for future cullings and compensation.” Executive director for Farm Forward, Andrew deCoriolis, says, “Not only are we wasting taxpayer money on profitable companies for a problem they created, but we’re not giving them any incentive to make changes.”  

Modern farming practices create the perfect environment for the growth and spread of pathogens, and our tax dollars serve to promote these businesses. The discovery that cows can also contract bird flu is a clear sign the problem is continuing to grow, putting animals and humans alike in danger. Factory farms are a cesspool of cruelty and disease. Without these large-scale operations, our nation would be much safer and kinder. 

Our Dietary Choices Can Help Stop Zoonotic Diseases

Confronting the terrifying reality that avian flu outbreaks are becoming more prevalent in the dairy sector and beyond means looking in the mirror at how our farming methods and dietary choices affect the world. Choosing a vegan lifestyle and a plant-based diet is a productive step towards lessening the risks of pandemics that could arise from our current agricultural practices. Each meal allows us to reduce the demand for animal agriculture and decrease the chances of zoonotic diseases running rampant through farmed animal populations and jumping to human populations.

Join us in choosing compassion, kindness, sustainability, and well-being by embracing a vegan lifestyle and paving the way for a safer, healthier future and a greener planet for all of Earth’s inhabitants.