WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday that it will shortly start paying dairy farmers for the milk supply they lost as a result of cows with avian flu.
Since March, 132 dairy herds in 12 states have contracted bird flu. Reduced milk output and veterinary care costs might result in financial losses for farmers who own diseased cows.
The spread of the virus has not had a detrimental impact on the U.S. milk market as a whole, but “to the individual producer, it’s difficult and devastating,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters over the phone.
According to the agency, the financing will reimburse farmers for 90% of the milk production lost per cow when their cows are ill. On July 1, applications for the money will be accepted.
In addition to collaborating with states to investigate the virus’s mode of transmission among cows, the USDA is in discussions with twenty-one businesses regarding the development of a vaccine for avian flu in cattle.
Although there is little risk of infection for the general people, the spread of the virus among cattle increases the possibility of infection in humans, according to federal officials. Since March, three employees of dairy farms have come down with the avian flu; all of them recovered after only mild symptoms.
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