3 Herds of Michigan Cows Test Positive for Bird Flu

Could the price of burgers and steak go up after 3 herds of Michigan cows have tested positive for bird flu?

What is Avian Bird Flu?

Another name for avian bird flu is avian influenza which is a highly contagious disease that affects birds and can spread to domestic poultry and other animals.

During the pandemic bird flu hit Michigan with people finding a lot of wild birds dead here and there on their property. Birds will often get into chicken coops and get food and the bird's saliva is how the chickens catch it.

We saw that the avian bird flu caused chicken and egg prices at all-time highs. Avian influenza can also infect other animals, so what would happen if cattle were to catch it? More than likely, steak, roast, and hamburger will also go up in price.

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3 Herds of Michigan Cattle Test Positive for Avian Bird Flu

What started infecting Michigan chicken farms has now spread to cattle farms. Avian influenza has now been found in cattle herds in Ionia, Clinton, and Gratiot counties. Bird flu has been found in cattle in 8 other states outside of Michigan. This quickly spreading virus could lead to already skyrocketing meat prices to rise even higher.

According to FOX 17, the Food and Drug Administration says the U.S. milk supply is still safe to drink because of pasteurization efforts and preventing contaminated milk from entering the supply chain.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has posted guidelines on what to do to prevent the spread of bird flu from infected cows to healthy cows and you can see that list here.