United States: In California, cows are getting sick and dying from bird flu at a much higher rate than in other states. Experts says here that some dead cows are being left outside in the sun because the places that normally take care of them are overwhelmed with so many animals.
When dead animals are left outside, it can help spread the bird flu to other birds and wild animals. Plus, if the carcasses aren’t taken care of, they can’t be processed properly, which is important for health and safety.
As reported by Reuters, avian influenza has affected over 30 dairy farms in 14 states this year, 120 herds in California alone since the end of August. The virus has also killed 25 people this year, 11 of whom were in California.

Mortality in infected herds in California is as high as 15 to 20 percent as against 2 percent in other states, said Keith Poulsen, who is actually a veterinarian and director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory who has researched on bird flu.
This year alone bird flu has affected over 300 dairy farms in 14 states and 120 farms in California since late August. It has also affected 25 people this year and out of these 11 are from California.
California infected herds are experiencing mortality rates of 15% or 20%, while other states are experiencing mortality rates less than 2%, said Keith Poulsen, a veterinarian and director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, specialist in bird flu.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture declined to answer questions relating to the mortality ratio of bird flu.

In the state’s central valley, heat has worsened condition for cattle affected by the virus which leads to fever, reduced milk yield among other symptoms according to the chief executive of western United dairies Anja Raudabaugh who represents almost 90 percent of the state’s dairy farms.
The normal mortality rates have also skyrocketed, said Dr Raudabaugh, farms that might experience the loss of one or two cows monthly have been experiencing losses in hundreds.
In the cases of morbidity, the farmers negotiate with the rendering companies to collect carcasses of dead cows. But the rendering companies that buy the carcasses, crack them to make tallow and hide, are incapable of coping up, some farmers leave their cows outside for days, Raudabaugh said.