For the first time ever, U.S. dairy cows have tested positive for H5N1, also known as avian or bird flu.
"Mother nature never ceases to amaze us as far as what she can do and how she can do what she does,” said James Juedes, Owner of Pleasant View Dairy Farm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Monday that cows on a Texas farm tested positive for bird flu.
"It depresses their feed intake. They feel like crap, obviously, like people do when they get the flu and they go off of feed, low milk production, and in some rare cases they've actually died," said Juedes.
Dairy products from infected cows are still considered safe to eat or drink.
Keith Poulsen, Director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory said, "We don't consider this a major public health threat at this time. Where pasteurized dairy products and cooked meat are considered safe by the USDA and the CDC."
According to the CDC, avian flu is widespread among wild birds in the U.S. and globally.
Juedes said, "Chances of it coming here I'd say are pretty high. I mean because they don't call it bird flu for no reason. I mean what does it transfer by? By birds right? And birds migrate from the south to the north and it's impossible to have a farm or any kind of operation without having birds around."
So how do farmers prepare for this?
"There really isn't anything you can do. I mean it is so new. I mean we vaccinate our cows, you know, and I'm sure that all the farmers do. For the most part our vaccination protocol that we have on our dairy farms is up to snuff," said Juedes.
Again, bird flu makes cows more tired and unwilling to eat, and has a more noticeable effect on older cattle.
