USDA confirms cases of bird-flu found in dairy cows [Video]

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – This week, the USDA announced cases of bird flu had been found in dairy cows in a few states; Texas, Kansas, and Michigan.

Iowa currently isn’t one of those states, but cattle farmers are keeping a close eye.

“The first thing that comes to mind is several years back when it got into the chickens and the turkeys,” said Johnson County Cattle Farmer Steve Swenka. “How they euthanized entire flocks.”

Last year, the avian flu killed nearly 3 million birds in the state of Iowa. That ranges from commercial poultry farms to backyard flocks.

Iowa State Extension Dairy Veterinarian Phillip Jardon said cows in Texas had contracted an unknown illness, which reduced milk production in older cattle. It wasn’t until this week he said pathologists learned it was the bird flu, but they aren’t sure how it happened.

“Birds don’t really follow our rules of …