Butler County dairy, poultry farmers on guard for avian flu
Multiple Butler County farmers report their herds are safe from a strain of avian influenza spreading among cattle in several states.
As of late April, the strain of highly-pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has spread to cattle in nine states. Although Pennsylvania is not among them, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is taking precautions to prevent the spread.
Early in April, the state issued a quarantine order that requires testing for any cattle coming from states with confirmed cases of the virus. In addition, the federal government is now requiring cattle to test negative for the virus before they can move between states.
According to the New York Times, symptoms in cattle include decreased appetite, fever, a drop in milk production, and/or thicker-than-usual milk.
One Butler County dairy farmer, William Thiele, reported his farm is in no danger at the moment. This is because the cattle at the Thiele farm are a “closed herd,” and are restocked through natural breeding.
“We’re a closed herd. We’d have to have cattle coming in from out of state for it to affect us,” Thiele said.
Regardless, Thiele suggests his fellow dairy farmers watch their herds closely to ensure cows are safe from the outbreak.
“If there are any symptoms of HPAI, then take it seriously and send a sample to a lab to get it tested,” Thiele said.
Among those fellow dairy farmers is the Hartzell family in Slippery Rock, who maintain nearly 300 milking cows. Like the Thiele farm, the Hartzell family is not dealing with the avian flu at the moment. Farm veterinarian Janelle Hoffman said the farm is keeping a close watch for it.
“I would say I'm moderately concerned because it is a threat, and Pennsylvania also has a very significant poultry industry that's already been affected by that virus,” Hoffman said. “We’ll continue to monitor animals for developing any signs that would indicate HPAI.”
Also watching the spread closely is poultry farmer Dave Jones of Winfield Township. Jones said he has not dealt with the bird flu in his roughly three decades operating the farm, and he takes serious precautions to ensure it stays that way.
This includes having himself and his farmhands walk through a sanitizing solution before tending to the poultry, to ensure they don’t accidentally transfer any pathogens.
“We sterilize our feet, and I only let three people in the farm,” Jones said. “Nobody else.”
To avoid the risk of cross-contamination, Jones also refuses to process anyone else’s poultry.
“I'll get a dozen phone calls or more come October or November from people who bought chickens or turkeys ... and they didn't have a clue what they're going to do with them when they got picked,” Jones said. “So they call me to process them. And I won't do it, because that's just about the worst thing you could do, to bring somebody else’s birds in.”
However, Jones has one concern. His farm, located on Jones Road in Winfield Township, is close to the Butler-Freeport Community Trail, which is a popular draw for bicyclists who could be carrying outside pathogens.
“That bike trail comes within 50 feet of my turkey barn,” Jones said. “We keep two fences up so people can't get from the bike trail onto my property.”
There has been one confirmed case so far of HPAI crossing over from cattle to humans, a Texas man who developed conjunctivitis. While traces of the virus have been found in processed milk, the Food and Drug Administration has stated there should be no risk to the nation’s milk supply.
“I’m a little concerned about what the consumer’s going to think,” Thiele said. “I hope that consumers still keep drinking milk and they’re not afraid they’re going to get (the virus).”
“Ten years ago, avian flu was something you heard about over in China or India,” Jones said. “It came over here somehow.”
