Bird Flu Continues to Spread, Infecting Poultry and Dairy Cattle

By Caroline Long

The current strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza first hit the United States in January 2022. By April that year, it had been confirmed in both domestic and wild birds in Utah.

“When we first got it, we think it came over the polar ice caps into the U.S. After we had it in North America, it went south, it hit South America,” said Amanda Price, state veterinarian with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. She said this strain has continued to circulate since 2022, mostly spread by migratory birds.

“So, in the fall, it'll hit the northern states first, and then kind of track southward as it goes,” Price said.

In addition to wild birds, the virus can infect domestic flocks and dairy cattle. While Utah’s poultry and cattle have been impacted in the past, there are no current infections.