Health Department says bird flu found in dairy cows

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Hamilton County Health department is raising awareness about the bird flu. 

“Bird flu is a type of influenza-A that is typically found in animals. It has been around since the late 90s, and it is mostly in domestic birds and wild birds. However, this year it was found for the first time in dairy cattle. It jumped from birds to cows,” said Dr. Dawn Ford, Epidemiology Manager at the Health Department. 

The H5N1 Virus is found in raw milk.

Dr. Dawn Ford with the Hamilton County Health Department says the bird flu was detected in nine states earlier this year. 

“It was first found in Texas in dairy cattle, and then in Michigan, and in Michigan there has been three farm worker cases and they had direct exposure to dairy cows,” Dr. Ford said. 

According to the health department, farm workers are at more risk to contract the bird flu. 

Dr. Ford confirms that the CDC is testing the virus through wastewater surveillance. 

“A few states across the country and Tennessee is one of those and within Tennessee, Chattanooga and Memphis are the two areas where they are doing wastewater surveillance,” said Dr. Ford. 

At this time, there have been no positive bird flu cases in Tennessee.

However, if you do come in contact with the virus, Dr. Ford says medicine is available. 

“Medicine like Tamiflu work against this virus, and the good thing is it has been mild in the human cases so far,” said Dr. Ford. “There are vaccines in production that will be available later this summer.”