Shannon C. Beard, Mark E. Carson, etc.,al. High immune responder cows have lower treatment risk and reduced milk loss during highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 outbreaks. JDS Communications
The spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) hemagglutinin type 5 and neuraminidase type 1 (H5N1) into dairy cattle marks the emergence of a new threat to herd health and production efficiency for North American dairy cattle. To address this challenge, this study evaluated whether genetic selection for improved immune response, using Immunity+ GEBVs, can increase resilience to HPAI H5N1 in commercial dairy herds. Treatment records (n = 15,386) and daily milk yield data (n = 650) were obtained from herd management software from 6 large commercial dairy herds in the United States with confirmed HPAI H5N1 outbreaks. The association between Immunity+ GEBV classes and the likelihood of requiring supportive treatment was assessed using binomial logistic regression, while linear models were used to assess the effects of Immunity+ GEBV class on the length of the milk fluctuation period following treatment and total milk loss during this period. Cows with high Immunity+ GEBVs were 24% less likely to require supportive treatment compared with those with low Immunity+ GEBVs (odds ratio = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.9). High immunity cows also experienced significantly lower milk loss (484.46 kg; 95% CI: 440.61 to 528.30 kg) during the post-treatment fluctuation period compared with low immunity cows (618.10 kg; 95% CI: 561.08 to 675.12 kg). Overall, these findings support the value of selecting for enhanced immune response to improve animal health, reduce production losses, and strengthen economic resilience during disease challenges.
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