Bird flu detected in cows

The ongoing bird flu epidemic has now led to an outbreak in dairy cows, as well as a second human case.

According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the disease has been confirmed in domestic livestock across the nation, including in South Dakota, Colorado and Idaho.

A Federal Order was issued on Monday to prevent the spread of the disease by requiring that cattle be tested before any interstate movement, and to mandate that positive tests must be reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Bird flu in cattle has also led to a human case. The second such case since the epidemic began in 2022, the person was exposure to dairy cattle in Texas that were presumed to be infected with the disease.

The patient reported eye redness as their only symptom.

Many mammals are susceptible to the disease, which has been detected in species ranging from seals and bears to otters and raccoons.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has so far been detected in five mountain lions across Wyoming, as well as two red foxes.

Consequently, the CDC has not upgraded its risk assessment for the general public, which is considered to be low, but has warned that people with close or prolonged exposures to birds or other animals, including livestock, or to environments contaminated by infected animals, are at greater risk of infection.

The bird flu epidemic is now present in wild birds in 50 U.S. jurisdictions and in poultry in 48 states, with just under 91 million backyard birds estimated to have been infected.

It has so far been detected in more than 150 wild birds in Wyoming, ranging from geese, ducks and cranes to owls, hawks and kestrels.

Meanwhile, bird flu has been reported in 11 poultry flocks within the state.