The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced on February 5 that it had detected a strain of avian influenza in dairy cattle that had never been seen before in cows.
Prior to the discovery of this strain of avian influenza, all 957 reported cases of avian influenza in dairy cattle this year were caused by the same strain of the virus, according to the USDA.
Dairy cows are raised on a farm in Porterville, California, USA. Illustration photo: AFP
Nearly 70 people in the US have contracted avian influenza since April 2024, mostly farm workers, as the virus has circulated in poultry and dairy herds, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Genetic sequencing of milk from Nevada identified another strain first seen in dairy cows, the USDA said. This second strain of avian influenza was the dominant genotype among wild birds this past fall and winter. It was identified through the National Milk Testing Strategy, which began nationwide in December to detect avian influenza.
Source: VNA