The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has reported that a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), initially detected in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, has now spread to additional herds in Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico.
Federal health officials announced on Friday that Michigan had confirmed cases of the virus marking an unprecedented event in the state’s agricultural history, while Idaho and New Mexico have reported presumptive positive tests.
Tim Boring, the Director of MDARD, described the situation as “rapidly evolving,” highlighting the unusual nature of this flu’s transmission.
The source of the infection has been traced back to a herd of cattle from Texas, which was relocated to a commercial farm in Michigan on March 7, according to MLive.
Despite passing all health inspections upon arrival, the first signs of illness were observed on March 20, with the state lab confirming the presence of the highly pathogenic avian flu by March 26
The infection’s confirmation comes amidst reports by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of similar outbreaks in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, attributed to transmission via wild birds. However, health officials have reassured the public that the risk remains low, with no indication of the virus mutating to become transmissible to humans.
While MDARD has not disclosed the number of affected cows, measures are in place to ensure there is no impact on the commercial milk supply. According to Tim Slawinski, director of Michigan’s Bureau of Food Safety and Animal Health, strict protocols at both the farm and processing levels effectively prevent milk from infected animals from entering the supply chain.
This outbreak is part of the broader impact of the deadliest bird flu in U.S. history, which has led to the deaths of over 82 million birds since January 2022 and a significant spike in egg prices.
The flu’s ease of spread among poultry through direct contact or contaminated materials poses ongoing challenges to containment efforts.
In Michigan alone, nearly 118,000 birds across commercial and backyard flocks have been affected, according to MLive.
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