Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in North Carolina Dairy Herd

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in a dairy herd in North Carolina on April 10, bringing the number of states with confirmed cases of HPAI in livestock to seven. 

HPAI has previously been detected in nine dairy herds in Texas, three in Kansas, two in New Mexico, and one each in Michigan, Idaho, and Ohio. The movement of cattle from affected herds in these states to North Carolina has been suspended. 

“This is an evolving situation, and we are waiting for more diagnostics from NVSL and will work collaboratively with our federal partners and dairy farmers in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler...

USDA’s APHIS Answers Questions on Detection of HPAI in Dairy Cattle

Following the recent string of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections in dairy herds in several states, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the rapidly evolving situation.

As of Apil 3, 2024, six states have confirmed cases of HPAI in domestic livestock. The first confirmation was on March 25 in dairy milking cattle in Texas. Since then, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, and Ohio have also reported HPAI in dairy cattle herds.

Below are some of the questions...

States with HPAI-Infected Dairy Cows Grows to Six

A herd of dairy cattle in Ohio has been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), increasing the number of states with dairy operations affected by the virus to six.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) on April 3 announced it had received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) of HPAI infection in a dairy cattle herd in Wood County, Ohio.

The USDA previously confirmed the H5N1 strain of HPAI in dairy cattle on seven Texas farms, two in Kansas, and one each...

ANALYSIS: Exploring Factors Influencing the Turkey Market

Although market-swaying spot trade activity is off to a fairly uneventful start in April, there are no shortage of variables that are lingering on the minds of turkey market participants as we proceed into spring. At the top of the "figurative" list is HPAI, which has been slow to relinquish its grasp on the poultry (and egg) industry. Through the first three months of the year, commercial HPAI turkey cases advanced by about 50%, or 70 thousand birds, from the year prior...

Second US Human Case of Avian Influenza H5N1 Linked to Dairy Cattle Exposure Confirmed

The United States has just confirmed a new case of a person testing positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus in Texas, the country's second human case since a previous incident in Colorado in 2022. The patient had been exposed to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with H5N1, raising concerns amongst the livestock sector and related businesses. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains the risk to the general public as low...

State Officials Report Human Case of Bird Flu in Texas, Second Ever in U.S. History

State officials Monday reported the first human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) in Texas, marking the second-ever human case of H5N1 flu, or HPAI, in the United States and the first tied to exposure to cattle. 

The individual in Texas had been in direct contact with dairy cattle thought to be infected with avian influenza. The person, who had testing performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the weekend, exhibited eye inflammation as their only symptom and is being treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir. The risk to the general public remains low, said the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)...

HPAI Detection in Idaho Dairy Herd 

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) identified today highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a Cassia County dairy cattle operation.

These are the first cases of HPAI in a livestock operation in Idaho. The affected facility recently imported cattle from another state that has identified cases of HPAI in cattle, which suggests the virus may be transmitted from cow-to-cow, in addition to previous reports indicating cattle were acquiring the virus from infected birds.

The primary concern with this diagnosis is on-farm production losses, as the disease has been associated with...

Stevens County Goat Tests Positive for Same Influenza Virus Affecting Poultry

A Stevens County goat kid (juvenile goat) residing on a farm with a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) positive poultry flock tested positive for the same virus. This is the first U.S. detection of HPAI in a domestic ruminant (cattle, sheep, goats, and their relatives). All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the February HPAI detection. Following the confirmation of HPAI in the goat, the Board quarantined all other species on the premises. The Board is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

ANALYSIS: Hatching Plans to Combat Future Uncertainty

Anyone intimately involved in the turkey industry has most likely had their eyes on the hatchery data to start the year. Substantial reductions in all three major categories, Eggs In Incubators, Eggs Hatched and Net Poults Placed have taken place over the past few months which leads many to question what exactly is causing the downtrend. The answer though, may not be as simple as it once was. Traditionally speaking, when hatchery statistics move notably higher or lower, it comes as a concerted effort by the industry to better align with current and...

Commercial Broiler Flock in Nebraska Tests Positive for Bird Flu

A commercial broiler flock of 102,000 birds in Gage County, Nebraska recently tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The detection was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on February 6, marking the first outbreak in a commercial flock for the state since November 2022. 

Several small WOAH poultry and non-poultry operations in Nebraska were affected by HPAI between December 2022 and December 2023. 

“Nebraska hasn’t had any reported cases of HPAI for a few months so while we are disappointed, we are not surprised, to see another case...

More than 13,000 Turkeys Affected By HPAI in Indiana 

A flock of 13,071 turkeys are being quarantined in Indiana after a commercial farm tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly referred to as the Bird Flu. The outbreak was reported out of Daviess County and according to the USDA, is the first reported outbreak of a commercial flock in the state since December 2023.

The birds will be depopulated, and birds of nearby flocks will be tested in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading. 

To further monitor the situation...

USDA APHIS Confirms Atypical BSE Case in Beef Cow at South Carolina Plant

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in a beef cow at a slaughter plant in South Carolina.

The beef cow was about five years or older and was tested as part of APHIS’s routine surveillance of cattle that are unsuitable for slaughter. The animal did not enter slaughter channels or present any risk to the food supply chain or to human health, said the USDA.

This is the country’s 7th...