Learnings and considerations for HPAI

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was a key topic at the Western Dairy Management Conference recently held in Reno, Nev. Jennifer Spencer, Texas A&M dairy extension specialist, and Beth Galbraith of Microbial Discovery Group, shared factors and opportunities to consider as the industry continues to gain knowledge on HPAI.

Diagnostics and data: Using herd monitoring tools and technologies can help detect the virus before cows show clinical signs. Using rumination monitors, several dairies have found rumination dropped five days before seeing clinical signs.

Coinfections: Testing has found that 61% of the time, a coinfection was found with HPAI. The most common have been E. coli and salmonella, suggesting that when the HPAI virus is present, other issues are occurring to bring the immune system down. Some key actions to consider include attention to transport and comingling of animals, focus on biosecurity, and improving nutrition and gut integrity to promote a more resilient microbiome in the cow.

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