Dead cows on the side of the road shows aftermath of Bird Flu outbreak

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As of Friday afternoon, there are 13 confirmed human cases of the Bird flu in the state and hundreds of infected cows.

In the South Valley, a disturbing site of infected and diseased cows on the side of the road sparked biosecurity concerns for local activists.

The video, which Crystal Heath captured on the outskirts of Tulare County on October 8th, shows the aftermath of a bird flu outbreak.

Several dead cows infected with Bird flu were found lying on the side of the road for a couple of days.

"I was pretty shocked to see these cows just lying there uncovered out in the open," says Crystal.

She continues, "There were no signs warning anybody of the biosecurity risks or warning that there was even an avian influenza outbreak."

Crystal, a veterinarian and the Executive Director of "Our Honor," an advocacy non-profit, says she's worried about the spread.

"I was really worried about the flies. I don't think it's been studied enough how flies may be transmitting the virus. Or if wildlife can contract the virus by touching the mucus membranes of those dead animals," Crystal says.

Western United Dairies represents the Tulare County Farm where the cows were found.

"It's very unfortunate, in this case the farmers have very few options, you have to separate the sick cows from healthy cows, and when they pass, in order to facilitate a process called rendering," says Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies.

She says their protocol is: "They have to be placed near a public road so that the rendering truck does not come onto the dairy and potentially infect the healthy calves."

Anja also mentions, "The virus has been known at this point to be transmitted on something called fomite transmission, so boots, shoes, tires, and foreign cars in or around there."

Anja says the flu has killed 10 to 15 percent of the state's 1.7 million cows.

That's an uptick from the normal 1% annual death rate, and the recent heat has worsened matters.

Another added concern is protecting employees.

"We are in the process of training workers how to identify signs and symptoms," says Anja.

Those signs include mild flu-like symptoms and conjunctivitis.

Employees also have access to personal protective equipment.

But, activists say more needs to be done.

"There are 17,500 dairy workers in California, and we really should be doing more to make sure they are protected and they are compensated when they have to take time off work so that they aren't scared to be tested for this virus," says Crystal.

Plus, "We're advocating for a redirection of public funds away from animal-based protein and towards supporting animal-free methods of food production to enhance our food security and public health," Crystal expresses. Our reliance and dependence on animal-based protein really puts us at risk for pandemic viruses like avian influenza."

Dairy products and milk are a multibillion-dollar industry in California.

For more details on the Bird Flu virus, visit here.

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