H5N1 confirmed in 5 more US dairy herds, more cats

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today added five more dairy herds in three states to its list of H5N1 avian flu outbreak confirmations.

Also, APHIS confirmed the virus in three more cats from two states, both of which are experiencing H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows and poultry.

Dairy herd confirmations rise to 145

Most of the APHIS confirmations involve detections initially announced by states. The newly added outbreaks include 3 in Colorado, 1 in Michigan, and 1 in Texas, boosting the USDA’s total to 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.

More cat and wild-bird positives

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.

A 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.