Bird flu outbreak is slowing, but MDARD isn’t declaring victory yet

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Knock on wood, but it has been 13 days since the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed a new bird flu outbreak in the state.

Data compiled by MDARD and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows just one new outbreak in June: a dairy herd in Clinton County reported on June 7. Since the virus rekindled among dairy herds in Michigan in late March, the state previously hadn’t gone more than eight days without confirming a new outbreak.

Is this a sign that the emergency order put in place last month is working? MDARD Director Tim Boring isn’t raising his arms in victory quite yet.

“It’s certainly positive news that we have not had a new confirmed (outbreak within a) dairy herd since June 7,” Boring told News 8. “We’re too early in our response to really understand the practical possibilities of containment, mitigation and eradication.”

The bird flu epidemic started in earnest in 2022 and has impacted farms across the country. In the last two years, more than 96 million poultry have been culled because of infections. It returned to Michigan in earnest in March, with the first infection registered among a dairy herd in Montcalm County. Since then, another 24 dairy herds have confirmed outbreaks, and another eight poultry flocks.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is quite deadly in birds, but the survival rate is high among cattle. Though it is rare, humans can also catch the virus.

Since the 2022 outbreak started, four human cases have been reported in the U.S. Three have come since the start of April, including two in Michigan . Most human cases are fairly mild and those cases have not spread to other people. However, a person from Mexico died earlier this month from a bird flu infection — a different strain than the most common one circulating in the U.S.

MDARD issued the “HPAI Risk Reduction Response Order” on May 1, outlining specific measures that poultry and dairy farmers should take to try to prevent spreading the virus. It includes strict protocols for disinfecting vehicles and equipment and shutting down animal showcases until the spread is under control.

“We know that transmission of this virus is possible not just from cow to cow, but through people, vehicle and equipment movement, as well. The decreasing number of positive detections can be attributed in large part to the combined and coordinated federal interstate movement restrictions and state level biosecurity requirements,” Boring said.

The fight is by no means over, but Boring is hopeful that the latest data shows the virus spread in Michigan is back in check. Still, the agency isn’t letting its guard down.

“At MDARD, we’re going to continue to stress the importance of testing cattle on farms, not only to protect animal health, but also human health,” Boring said.

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