As H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry across the United States continue at a brisk pace, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported a few more detections in domestic cats.
Also, APHIS confirmed 5 more detections in dairy cattle, all from California, and more than 50 in wild birds across several states.
Commercial and backyard farms hit
Over the last 2 days, APHIS reported the virus in more poultry flocks across seven states, with several involving commercial farms.
In hard-hit Ohio, outbreaks were confirmed on four more layer farms and three more turkey farms. And in neighboring Pennsylvania, the virus struck five more commercial farms.
Elsewhere, outbreaks struck two more farms in Missouri, including a turkey farm in Lawrence County and a broiler farm in Newton County.
Meanwhile, federal officials confirmed findings at two more live bird markets in New York’s Queens and Bronx counties. Earlier detections at live markets in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn prompted New York’s governor last week to announce a temporary closure of live bird markets in New York City, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau counties.
APHIS also reported new outbreaks in backyard flocks in Louisiana’s Calcasieu County, Washington’s Mason County, and Connecticut’s New London County.
Since the virus first emerged in US poultry in early 2022, outbreaks have led to the loss of a record 157.7 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
With detections continuing in domestic and wild birds, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development today urged poultry owners to continue to take steps to protect their birds, especially as wild birds begin their spring migration.
Officials added that though it’s impossible to predict what will happen in the spring, “it is certain that this disease will continue to impact Michigan’s animal agriculture, and taking preventative measures to keep HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] away from domestic birds remains essential.”
More detections in cows and wild birds
In related developments, APHIS confirmed 5 more detections in dairy cattle, all from California. The latest additions lift the national total to 962 and California’s total to 744.
The virus also continues its heavy toll in wild birds. APHIS today added more than 50 H5N1 confirmations to its list of birds found dead in several states, which includes gulls, geese, ducks, and birds of prey.
The list also includes hunter-harvested and live-sampled waterfowl from states including Louisiana, Indiana, Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, and Michigan.
Virus strikes more domestic cats in 3 states
APHIS today confirmed three more H5N1 detections in domestic cats, which includes an infected stray cat in California’s San Mateo County announced by county officials on February 6. The cat was taken in for medical care by a family in Half Moon Bay when it developed symptoms. It’s not known how the cat was infected, and the animal was euthanized due to its condition.
The other confirmations involve a cat from Montana’s Flathead County that was sampled on December 5, 2024, and a cat from Oregon’s Multnomah County that was sampled on February 3.
