Three more dairy herds in three additional Michigan counties have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to state officials, in tests confirmed by the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
Earlier this week, HPAI was confirmed in dairy herds in North Carolina and South Dakota, bringing the total to eight states. The latest Michigan confirmations bring the total to 27 farms where a dairy herd contracted H5N1 avian influenza.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said during a news conference on Friday that HPAI was detected in commercial dairy herds in Ionia, Isabella and Ottawa counties, bringing the number of affected Michigan herds to four.
The state announced on March 29 its first HPAI-positive herd in Montcalm County.
It had been previously reported that the first positive herd in Michigan had received cows from one of the infected Texas herds.
Michigan State Veterinarian Nora Wineland said on Friday that it was unclear whether there was a Texas connection to the new cases in Michigan.
"So, I think what we can say is our initial herd did have a history of movement of cattle from Texas," she said.
"Our other herds, we're still in the process of really understanding any kind of movements, both of cattle from perhaps other states as well as between herds within the state of Michigan. At this point, I would say we are still looking into that and do not have a definitive answer."
Wineland said the positive tests in Michigan have come primarily from large commercial herds of 500 or more animals.
Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said it's unclear as to how the three additional Michigan herds were infected.
State officials are exploring what, if any, connection there might be between infected poultry and the dairies.
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Categories: Michigan, Livestock, Beef Cattle