Avian influenza detected in dairy cattle in Nevada, in poultry in Iowa, California and Colorado, and in people in Arizona and California.
December 9, 2024
The Nevada Department of Agriculture on Dec. 6 reported the state's first avian flu detection in dairy cattle, which involved a herd in Nye County, located northwest of Las Vegas. This was included in the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) avian influenza updates.
The affected premises has been quarantined, and mandatory testing will occur onsite at regular intervals until the herd is confirmed to be virus free, the department said in its report. Once the virus is sequenced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories, this would be the first detection in the state.
Though Nye County borders California, the area isn't adjacent to the Central Valley epicenter of California's ongoing outbreaks in dairy cattle.
According to the Nevada Dairy Farmers & Dairy Council of Nevada, a trade group, the state has just over 20 dairy farms, which range from 500 to more than 32,000 cows. Nationally, Nevada ranks 32nd in milk production.
"Ensuring the safety of the industry is our utmost priority," Nevada Department of Agriculture director J.J. Goicoechea said. "Early action is critical to prevent the spread of animal disease. We have notified industry members and encouraged increased animal and worker safety precautions."
Since H5N1 was first detected in U.S. dairy cows in March, the virus has now infected herds in 16 states, CIDRAP pointed out.
In poultry developments, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship on Dec. 6 reported its first outbreak since June, which involves a commercial layer farm in Sioux County in the northwestern corner of the state. Iowa is the nation's top egg-producing state, according to the Iowa Egg Council.
Also, APHIS confirmed two more poultry outbreaks in separate states. One involves a commercial farm in California's Stanislaus County that has 44,000 birds and the other a backyard flock in Colorado's Pitkin County.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported the first human H5 cases in Arizona on Dec. 6. Both individuals were exposed to infected poultry while working at a commercial facility in Pinal County. These individuals reported mild symptoms, received treatment and recovered.
If confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the cases would push the national total to 60 and the number of states reporting human cases to eight, according to CIDRAP.
The health department noted that avian influenza has been detected in Arizona, including a commercial poultry farm in Pinal County and a backyard flock in Maricopa County. Most human infections with H5 virus have occurred after unprotected exposure to sick or dead infected animals or their environment, such as when the virus gets in a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or is inhaled from close or prolonged exposure to sick animals or their environments.
Arizona said it continues to take swift and comprehensive action in response to any detections of avian influenza within the state.
Meanwhile, health officials in Marin County, Cal., in a Dec. 6 public health update first reported by the Los Angeles Times, said over the past week they have been investigating a possible avian flu case involving a child and are working with the California Department of Public Health and the CDC to confirm the findings and determine how the child may have been exposed, the CIDRAP update noted.
If confirmed, it would be California's second unexplained avian flu infection in a child. California’s first case, in Alameda County, which also marked the nation's first H5 case in a child, was detected through the state's flu surveillance system. It was first reported on Nov. 19 and was confirmed by CDC testing a few days later.
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