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Avian flu impacting milk production at Weber County dairies, officials declare emergency
KSL.com • • health
Key Points:
- Weber County officials have declared a state of emergency due to avian flu affecting four of nine dairies in the area, enabling access to federal and state assistance such as low-interest loans.
- The avian influenza strain, first detected in Cache Valley last May, has spread to Box Elder and now Weber County, with a high transmission rate that may impact additional dairies.
- The flu reduces milk production by 6,000 to 10,000 pounds per day per affected dairy and can impair cow reproduction, causing significant financial losses for farmers.
- Infected cows may face quarantines and monitoring for up to 90 days, and the emergency declaration by Weber County commissioners will last for 30 days.
- Box Elder County declared a similar emergency earlier this month in response to the same avian flu outbreak.
