"I was shocked the first time I encountered it in one of my herds," said Maxwell Beal, a Central Valley-based veterinarian who has been treating infected herds. He emphasized that the reality of the H5N1 outbreak's impact on cattle mortality was far beyond expectations, noting that it's causing greater production and health issues than initially assumed. This revelation underlines the serious challenges facing dairy farmers as they cope with these outbreaks.
During a recent webinar for dairy farmers, Beal shared his distressing findings, underlining that dairy operators had initially been given expectations of a mortality rate of less than 2%. However, vet reports now suggest a mortality rate possibly ranging between 10% to 15%, indicating that current measures may be inadequate. The gravity of these numbers signals a pressing need for reassessment in how outbreaks are managed.
"The animals really don't do well," Beal noted, comparing the suffering of infected cows to that of humans experiencing significant health challenges. This analogy poignantly illustrates the severity of the symptoms displayed by infected cattle and highlights the urgent need for understanding the disease’s impact among livestock, indicating a potential crisis in dairy production.
The findings from the webinar co-hosted by the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program suggest a coordinated approach among veterinarians to educate and prepare dairy farmers. The lack of accessibility to the findings for broader audiences reflects concerns that critical information is not reaching all who urgently need it.
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