The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed more H5N1 avian flu detections in mammals and wild birds, as confirmations remain low in poultry and dairy cattle.
Of four new H5 detections in mammals, two had recent collections dates, including a desert cottontail rabbit from Arizona’s Maricopa County, where the virus in May spurred large outbreaks at commercial egg-laying farms in mid-May through early June. The other is a red fox from Costilla County, Colorado, that was sampled on May 29.Â
The two other confirmations had older sample collection dates, including a domestic cat from Contra Costa County, California, that was sampled on December 11, 2024, a time when the state reported deaths in cats linked to consumption of raw pet food and raw milk, and a muskrat from Saratoga County, New York, that was sampled on January 6.Â
Wild-bird detections in Arizona poultry outbreak area
Regarding wild birds, APHIS reported 75 more H5N1 detections, though most involve birds sampled during the winter. Recent detections include agency-harvested grackles, pigeons, and other birds from Arizona’s Maricopa County, as well as a Canada goose from Maryland’s Cecil County.
The most recent H5N1 confirmation in dairy cows is from June 3, keeping the national total at 1,073 in 17 states, and the last confirmation in poultry is from June 11.
