SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is altering the requirements for livestock brought into the state after multiple cows across the country have gotten sick with a flu-like illness.
“We are not restricting imports but rather strengthening the requirements for cattle that are coming in from Texas, Kansas, [and] New Mexico,” said Bailee Woolstenhulme with the department.
According to a UDAF press release, they are making sure each dairy cow transported from these states gets a “veterinary inspection certificate.” That certificate needs to be issued within seven days after transport, to make sure none of the cows entering the state are sick.
How does this affect us?
The UDAF said the illness isn’t contagious to humans. Instead, it’s just affecting older cows who still actively produce milk.
“We’re only seeing it in dairy cattle. Specifically, older age, lactating cattle. So if they are not currently milking, we have not …