In a Thursday announcement, the county reported that at least 50% of its dairy cows have been “impacted” by the highly pathogenic avian influenza — commonly referred to as bird flu — and farmers are seeing severe losses to their milk production. The county did not immediately specify what “impacted” meant.

Through declaring a state of emergency, the county said it is able to coordinate with state and federal partners for help responding to the situation. Box Elder County first found bird flu in a local milk sample sometime around June 25, according to the news release.

Though the county said the public doesn’t face any threat from consuming pasteurized dairy products, it warned people to avoid raw milk “as it may contain HPAI for several weeks when stored in the refrigerator.”

Box Elder County warns against raw milk amid bird flu outbreak | Utah Public Radio