United States: US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed five new cases of avian flu in dairy herds across the states. The virus which is known as H5N1 and particularly is indeed spreading among cows and poultry.
Additionally, APHIS reported that three more cats in two states have also been infected with the virus. These states are already dealing with outbreaks in both dairy cows and poultry.
Dairy herd confirmations rise to 145
Most of the APHIS confirmations involve the detections initially announced by the states and the new cases that has been 3 cases which are confirmed in Colorado, 1 in Michigan and 1 in Texas which makes total count 145 in 12 states.
Separately, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported another new outbreak in a dairy herd, which involves cows from Benton County in the central part of the state. Minnesota has now reported eight H5N1 outbreaks at dairy farms.
Other cats and wild birds are positive
In related developments, APHIS confirmed H5N1 detections in three more domestic cats, two from Minnesota and one from Michigan, raising the total since 2022 to 33.
As mentioned in CIDRAP, notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said the cats from Minnesota were feral barn cats on an affected dairy farm in Sibley County in south central Minnesota. Samples were collected on June 10.
Meanwhile, APHIS said samples from the Michigan cat were collected on April 18 and that the cat was from Ottawa County, one of 10 Michigan counties affected by outbreaks in dairy cows. Also, APHIS reported an H5N1 detection in a raccoon from Ottawa County, with samples collected on the same date as the cat.
Additionally, APHIS reported four more H5N1 detections in wild birds from two Iowa counties, all agency-harvested birds that were sampled in mid to late June. The birds that tested positive were from Plymouth and Sioux counties and included a red-winged blackbird, robin, turkey vulture, and barn swallow.