Widespread H5N1 cases in US dairy and poultry
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced significant increases in H5N1 avian flu cases among dairy cattle and poultry in the United States.
With 25 new outbreaks in California alone, the state's dairy industry is facing unprecedented challenges, affecting over one-third of its dairy farms.
These outbreaks are part of a broader national issue, with the US now recording 675 infected dairy herds across 15 states since March.
The virus has also infiltrated large poultry farms in California and elsewhere, adding to the strain on the country's largest dairy-producing state.
On the poultry side, new outbreaks include a backyard flock in Alaska and a sizable commercial turkey operation in Minnesota, demonstrating the virus's reach and the critical need for vigilance and biosecurity measures across all types of animal farming operations.
In a closely related public health concern, a recall was issued for raw milk in Los Angeles County after H5N1 was detected in a sample from Raw Farm.
Local health officials have moved quickly to mitigate any further risk to consumers, with inspections ongoing at affected retail locations to remove the potentially contaminated milk.
These developments reflect the growing impact of H5N1 avian flu on both agricultural industries and public health, underscoring the need for continued aggressive response efforts to control the spread of the virus and safeguard the nation’s food supply and public health.