The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is circulating again, but it’s impacting more than birds. Several states have found this strain of bird flu in dairy cows. Wisconsin has not had a case this year, but it has a system to help prevent the spread of animal disease.
Wisconsin requires anyone with livestock – whether you have three chickens or 3,000 cows – to register where those animals live. It’s the Premise ID Law. The Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium runs the database.
WLIC Executive Director Julie Sweney says this information can be critical in stopping the spread of disease.
What’s unique about how Wisconsin stores this information is that WLIC is separate from the government. This means your information is confidential and not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection uses your contact information to alert you if your animals are at risk of a disease outbreak.
Have you moved or gotten a new phone number or email address? Have you recently taken on a fair animal project or added species to your herd? You can update your premise information at https://wiid.org/
Access the USDA list of detections in domestic livestock: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock
Sign up for updates on H5N1 in cattle from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIDATCP/subscriber/new
