The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 15 more cases of H5N1 avian flu in Idaho dairy cattle, bringing the state’s total to 86 confirmed cases. This surge in activity makes Idaho the nation’s epicenter of virus detections since March.
Nationwide, there have been 1,047 confirmed cases in 17 states, with Idaho reporting the second-highest number behind California. The majority of affected herds are located in four southern counties: Gooding (34), Jerome (17), Twin Falls (7), and Cassia (1).
Idaho is also a significant milk producer, with over 350 family-owned dairy farms. APHIS has reported detections in mammals from six states, including a domestic cat in Colorado and wildlife from California, New York, Virginia, Texas, and Washington.
In other news, the European Commission has secured a deal to procure pandemic flu vaccine doses for 17 countries, allowing them to buy up to 27 million doses as part of pandemic preparedness.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/h5n1-avian-flu-surges-idahos-dairy-cattle