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Welcome to Field Notes; the newsletter aiming to bring you the latest news and updates in agriculture, agri-food science, and One Health research.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in Cattle in United States

Since Early last week, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAI) has confirmed to have been found in milk samples from sick dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan, and Idaho. Currently, no cases have been identified in Canadian dairy herds. This outbreak is being monitored closely by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Dairy Farmers of Canada, and other provincial, national, and international partners. Below are links to additional resources and platforms for you to stay up-to-date on the developing situation:

USDA: You can read more about the detection of the virus in US dairy farms on the US Department of Agriculture website here. 

CFIA: Stay up to date with Avian Influenza news and announcements in Canada through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency here.

WOAH: Learn more about Avian Influenza through the World Organization of Animal Health here.

April Article of the Month

Impact of Dystocia on Milk Production, Somatic Cell Count, Reproduction and Culling in Holstein Dairy Cows

Published in the journal Animals (January 2023)

Authorship: Steve Roche, Joseph Ross, Crystal Schatz, Kendall Beaugrand, Sioert Zuidhof, Brenda Ralston, Nick Allan, Merle Olsen

Summary of the article

This study assessed the impact of dystocia on a number of indicators of dairy cow health and productivity. Data from more than 2000 cows from dairy farms in Alberta, Canada were used. Results indicate that cows with moderate to high levels of assistance during calving had lower milk production and were more likely to be culled from the herd. Cows with lower levels of assistance had lower levels of milk fat and higher odds of a retained placenta.

Read the open access article here →

Resource Round Up

The Microbiome as an Alternative to Antibiotic Use in Dairy Cows

At McGill University, researchers are working to understand how the microbiome can be used as a tool to prevent mastitis and the need for antibiotics. Watch the video below to learn more about this exciting research, and read more about the larger Mastitis Network here!

As part of our work with Dairy Farmers of Canada, ACER has supported the production of more than 70 videos, podcasts, infographics, and other resources aimed at sharing the results of dairy research all across Canada. Access all of these tools through Dairy Farmers of Canada’s online research hub.

Are there other topics or questions you are interested in?

Email us at [email protected]. We always welcome your questions and feedback!

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