Officials from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Michigan dairy herd. That herd recently added cattle from Texas, one of the first states to report HPAI in dairy cattle. A University of Minnesota Extension article says APHIS also shared presumptive positive samples from New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio, and Texas. The Idaho Department of Agriculture announced cattle in the state have tested positive for HPAI. HPAI historically affects birds but has been documented in cats, skunks, and foxes. The virus found in Michigan is very similar to the viruses found in Texas and Kansas and appears to have been introduced into the cattle by wild birds. In Idaho, the virus may have been transmitted from cow to cow. USDA has stated that initial testing has not found changes to the virus that would make it easier to transmit to humans.
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