WOOD COUNTY, Ohio — A cattle herd that a Wood County dairy operation received from Texas likely has bird flu, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The ODA said in a press release Tuesday that it received "a presumptive positive test result of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in an Ohio dairy cattle herd and is awaiting confirmation from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL)."
The Wood County operation, which is not named by the ODA, received cows from a Texas dairy on March 8, which later "reported a confirmed detection of HPAI," more commonly known as bird flu.
The ODA says animal health officials in Ohio were notified that livestock began showing signs compatible with sick, lactating cows in other states.
Federal agencies have also detected bird flu in dairy herds in Michigan, Texas, Kansas, Idaho and New Mexico, according to the ODA.
The emerging illness among dairy cows causing decreased lactation, low appetite and other symptoms is under investigation by the USDA, CDC and Food and Drug Administration.
"There is no concern about the safety of commercially pasteurized dairy products due to both federal animal health requirements and pasteurization and the public health risk associated with HPAI remains low," according to the CDC and FDA.
Farmers and veterinarians are encouraged to report cattle illnesses quickly so additional cases can be monitored and the impact can be minimized.
No quarantines or movement restrictions on livestock are being issued at this time, according to the ODA.
For more information on bird flu in cattle, visit the USDA's website.