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H5N1 detections in US dairy cattle reach 1,000
News brief
50 minutes ago.
Lisa Schnirring
Topics
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today reported two more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy herds, one in California and the other in Nevada, raising the nation's total to 1,000 since March 2024.
California has been the hardest-hit state, and though detections have dropped sharply, sporadic H5N1 confirmations continue and have now reached 759 in that state. In December 2024 when the situation was intensifying in California dairy cattle with spread beyond the Central Valley, the state's governor announced a state of emergency to shore up the state's response.
Nevada has now reported 11 outbreaks since December 2024. In early February, the USDA reported a new spillover from birds to cattle in the Nevada outbreak. It involves the D1.1 genotype, which is distinct from the B3.13 genotype implicated in earlier dairy cattle outbreaks.
More poultry detections in 2 states
Over the past 2 days, APHIS confirmed two more detections in poultry flocks. They involve backyard birds in Colorado's Larimer County and another live-bird market in New York's Queens County.
Outbreaks of H5N1 in US poultry began in early 2022 and have led to the loss of more than 168 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Wyoming reports 14% CWD prevalence in tested deer, elk
News brief
Today at 1:51 p.m.
Jim Wappes
Topics
Chronic Wasting Disease
In Wyoming, 14% of all deer and elk tested last year were positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said yesterday.
Officials tested 5,276 samples in 2024 from mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose—members of the deer family also known as cervids. The samples were from hunter-harvested, targeted, and road-killed animals.
Of hunter-harvested male mule deer tested, 19.4% came back positive, an increase from 18.9% in 2023. Of hunter-harvested white-tailed bucks, 29.2% tested positive, down slightly from 30.3% in 2023. And 2.3% of adult hunter-harvested elk tested positive, which was down from 2.8% in 2023.
The number of samples tested was a bit higher than the number in 2023, when scientists assayed 5,100 samples.
Two thirds of 1 deer herd infected
In 2024, CWD was detected in three new deer hunt areas and three new elk hunt areas. And earlier this year CWD was found in three additional elk hunt areas, and on four elk feeding grounds in western Wyoming.
To determine CWD prevalence in individual herds, researchers used 5-year averages to ensure a significant sample size. At 66.3%, the Project herd in the Lander Region continues to have the highest CWD prevalence in Wyoming deer. The Shoshone River herd in the Cody Region is next, at 47.6%.
The Iron Mountain herd in southeast Wyoming had the highest CWD prevalence among elk, at 10.1%. The North Bighorn elk herd in north-central Wyoming was second at 9.1%, a noticeable increase from 7.0% from 2019 through 2023.
CWD is a fatal untreatable disease of the central nervous system in cervids and is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy—the same disease group as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or "mad cow" disease. These encephalopathies are caused by abnormally folded proteins called prions. There has not yet been a human CWD case, but officials recommend not consuming the meat of CWD-positive animals.
ALL BRIEFS
H5N1 detections in US dairy cattle reach 1,000
News brief
50 minutes ago.
Lisa Schnirring
Topics
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today reported two more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy herds, one in California and the other in Nevada, raising the nation's total to 1,000 since March 2024.
California has been the hardest-hit state, and though detections have dropped sharply, sporadic H5N1 confirmations continue and have now reached 759 in that state. In December 2024 when the situation was intensifying in California dairy cattle with spread beyond the Central Valley, the state's governor announced a state of emergency to shore up the state's response.
Nevada has now reported 11 outbreaks since December 2024. In early February, the USDA reported a new spillover from birds to cattle in the Nevada outbreak. It involves the D1.1 genotype, which is distinct from the B3.13 genotype implicated in earlier dairy cattle outbreaks.
More poultry detections in 2 states
Over the past 2 days, APHIS confirmed two more detections in poultry flocks. They involve backyard birds in Colorado's Larimer County and another live-bird market in New York's Queens County.
Outbreaks of H5N1 in US poultry began in early 2022 and have led to the loss of more than 168 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Wyoming reports 14% CWD prevalence in tested deer, elk
News brief
Today at 1:51 p.m.
Jim Wappes
Topics
Chronic Wasting Disease
In Wyoming, 14% of all deer and elk tested last year were positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said yesterday.
Officials tested 5,276 samples in 2024 from mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose—members of the deer family also known as cervids. The samples were from hunter-harvested, targeted, and road-killed animals.
Of hunter-harvested male mule deer tested, 19.4% came back positive, an increase from 18.9% in 2023. Of hunter-harvested white-tailed bucks, 29.2% tested positive, down slightly from 30.3% in 2023. And 2.3% of adult hunter-harvested elk tested positive, which was down from 2.8% in 2023.
The number of samples tested was a bit higher than the number in 2023, when scientists assayed 5,100 samples.
Two thirds of 1 deer herd infected
In 2024, CWD was detected in three new deer hunt areas and three new elk hunt areas. And earlier this year CWD was found in three additional elk hunt areas, and on four elk feeding grounds in western Wyoming.
To determine CWD prevalence in individual herds, researchers used 5-year averages to ensure a significant sample size. At 66.3%, the Project herd in the Lander Region continues to have the highest CWD prevalence in Wyoming deer. The Shoshone River herd in the Cody Region is next, at 47.6%.
The Iron Mountain herd in southeast Wyoming had the highest CWD prevalence among elk, at 10.1%. The North Bighorn elk herd in north-central Wyoming was second at 9.1%, a noticeable increase from 7.0% from 2019 through 2023.
CWD is a fatal untreatable disease of the central nervous system in cervids and is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy—the same disease group as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or "mad cow" disease. These encephalopathies are caused by abnormally folded proteins called prions. There has not yet been a human CWD case, but officials recommend not consuming the meat of CWD-positive animals.
ALL BRIEFS