Arya News - Idaho has become the nation`s leading hotspot for new H5N1 dairy cattle cases, with state officials considering expanded surveillance and vaccine options. The post Idaho leads nation in new dairy bird...
Idaho has emerged as the nation’s latest hotspot for highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle, recording 40 newly confirmed infected dairy herds during the 30-day period ending June 29.
The recent surge accounts for the majority of new U.S. dairy herd detections over the past month. During the week of June 22-28 alone, Idaho confirmed eight additional infected dairy herds, along with an HPAI outbreak at a Canyon County poultry farm affecting about 3,000 birds.
“It’s just surging now,” Idaho State Veterinarian Scott Leibsle told Capital Press .
Leibsle said the poultry operation was likely infected by a nearby dairy farm and emphasized that the virus circulating in Idaho dairy herds is spreading primarily among cattle rather than from wild birds.
“The bird flu strain in Idaho dairy herds isn’t spread by wild birds, but by bovines themselves,” he told the publication.
State officials are considering expanding surveillance efforts ahead of next spring’s expected increase in cases.
Idaho is considering aggressive early surveillance and sampling for the disease next March. Leibsle also said the state would be willing to evaluate a vaccine if one becomes available.
“If there is a vaccine in development, we would certainly be open to trying it out,” he said. However, vaccination would remain voluntary for dairy producers.
“Biosecurity only goes so far when you have a dairy of several thousand cattle that are infected with the virus,” Leibsle added.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Idaho has now recorded 172 affected livestock herds since the dairy cattle outbreak began in 2024, with all but one involving dairy operations. That ranks second only to California, which has reported 773 affected herds during the outbreak but has not identified a new infected livestock herd since November.
Nationally, the USDA has confirmed 1,154 affected livestock herds across 20 states since the outbreak began, with all but two involving cattle.
HPAI in dairy cattle is not considered a food safety issue. Unlike poultry, dairy cattle generally recover from HPAI infections and return to production. Infected cows continue producing milk while under quarantine, and pasteurized milk remains safe for consumers.
“They are seeming to recover faster,” Leibsle said. He added that warmer, drier summer conditions may help slow the virus’s spread.
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