US cattle show continues despite bird flu

The Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis, near Milwaukee, will continue with cattle as usual from August 1 to 11, as the bird flu virus continues to affect cattle in several states in the United States. Cows participating in the program should be tested in advance. Companies are leaving because they are afraid of the consequences.

Dairy cows must have been tested for influenza a week before coming to a fair or exhibition. The US Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection issued a government order mandating this.

The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has received nearly 400 samples each week since June, including other programs. This means the lab’s maximum capacity was not used for this test, says lab director Keith Paulson. Wisconsin Public Radio.

‘We see a lot of small groups of dairy cows at our cattle shows or surveys that have canceled dairy cow classes. I live in Lodi. In the local survey we had only one dairy cow. That was just sad. “Many farms and kids spend so much time preparing cows for the show,” says Paulson.

Fear of testing

According to the laboratory director, many dairy farms are reluctant to test. A positive result will make the milk unsalable. There are voluntary tests from the central government to see how the bird flu virus spreads. It is also rarely used.

Research by Paulsen and other scientists has shown that the bird flu virus is mainly spread within a herd of cattle through exposure to infected cow’s milk. It does not explain every new case. So far, there have been no cases of bird flu in Wisconsin. This is also the case in thirteen other states.

The consequences are unclear

According to Wisconsin State Fair veterinarian Thea Castenson, avian flu measures mean extra work for the veterinary team. Not only are the documents of all lactating livestock checked, extra attention is paid to signs of bird flu.

Castensen saw no drop in the number of cattle entries that came in on Tuesday. Entries for dairy cows are not yet complete.

I don’t think a reasonable audience would notice any difference. The number of cows is the same, the programs are conducted the same. “Once the cows are in the show barn, it will be no different than any other year,” the vet said earlier.