WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Nebraska has confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in a dairy cattle herd; state and federal agriculture officials announced on Sept. 15.
The herd, located in central Nebraska, has been quarantined following confirmation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The detection adds to a lingering 18-month outbreak that has spread across more than 1,000 herds in 17 states since the virus was first identified in dairy cows in March 2024.
Recent cases have also been confirmed in Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Michigan and California. Federal officials said the Nebraska strain closely resembles one previously detected in California and noted that cattle generally recover with little to no mortality, though milk production can fall by up to 20 percent.
The USDA confirmed the case after testing milk samples flagged during pre-movement surveillance. While experts stress that the risk to humans remains low, the virus's spread among livestock and other mammals has raised concerns that it could adapt to transmit between people.
'It will be important to determine if the Nebraska herd represents a new bird-to-cow infection, or if the virus was brought into the state by an already infected cow,' said Scott Hensley, a microbiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
At least 70 people nationwide have been infected, including 41 linked to dairy cattle exposure. Most cases have produced flu-like symptoms, but earlier this year, a Louisiana flock keeper became the first U.S. fatality after contracting a bird flu variant.
Officials warn that farmers, veterinarians and others in close contact with infected animals remain at heightened risk as the outbreak continues to pressure both public health and the livestock industry.
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