Within the last 30 days, there’s been 16 new confirmed cases of the avian flu throughout the nation. It’s not just chickens with the virus, but dairy cows. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is already testing hundreds of raw milk samples from farms. Northland farmers are staying vigilant to make sure the disease doesn’t continue to spread.

Since march of last year, the USDA has recorded a national total of 978 confirmed cases Avian Flu or H5N1 in dairy herds. Minnesota has confirmed a total of 9 cases on dairy farms. Dr. Nicole Neeser is the Division Director of Dairy and Meat Inspection with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. She says the H5N1 is deadly to chickens and poultry, it can easily be contracted by humans and dairy cows.

“We want them to really focus on what we call biosecurity, which is using good practices to prevent the introduction of disease. Most of those birds die, typically, from the flu. Dairy farms, fortunately, it’s a different clinical picture,” Dr. Neeser said. “So dairy cows get a much more mild form of the disease. We want to make sure that we’re taking control of the virus or trying to control the virus on these farms. Both for the farm that is infected, their neighbors and other animals, as well as the humans that are working on that farm.”

When a milk sample tests positive the avian flu, the Minnesota department of agriculture will quarantine the dairy farm, and test a second sample to determine the herd is infected. While the bird flu is deadly to chickens and other poultry, h-5-n-1 takes about one to two months before the dairy cows can be cleared of the virus.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will be testing roughly sixteen hundred dairy farms over the next several months. One of many Northland farmers is Peter Laveau, the owner of Laveau Dairy in Wrenshall. Laveau says he and his family have raised cows for generations. One of the ways humans get infected by avian flu is through drinking raw milk from infected dairy cows. However pasteurized milk won’t have the virus.

“We do sell raw milk, but I actually think this is a good thing, this testing. So, we know that our milk is safe. If the milk is pasteurized, it does kill the H5N1,” Laveau said. “But if you’re getting raw milk, I wouldn’t discourage you from getting it from a local person. Because most of them are on top of it, they make sure they got a wholesome product and it’s safe.”

Dairy farmers should monitor their herd and contact their veterinarian immediately, if any of their cows appear sick says Laveau. A dairy cow may have the virus if the utters are infected, or signs of a fever, according to the Minnesota department of agriculture.

“The farmer’s main concern should be to have a wholesome product,” Laveau said. “So, that’s what we’re after in the long run, making sure our herd don’t get infected.”

When a milk sample tests positive the avian flu, the Minnesota department of agriculture will quarantine the dairy farm. They will test a second sample to determine if the herd is indeed infected. H5N1 takes about one to two months before the dairy cows can be cleared of the virus. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health will report any new cases of the avian flu in dairy cows throughout the state.