Bird flu found in more Idaho dairy herds
Published 7:15 am Tuesday, April 21, 2026
By Capital Press
Monthly routine surveillance found bird flu in five Idaho dairies not previously identified as having the disease, state veterinarian Scott Leibsle said.
The five Idaho cases, confirmed April 13, are the first this year, according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Total U.S. cases in cattle — 1,093 — include 917 in 2024 and 171 in 2025 along with the five so far this year.
Idaho now has 17 dairies across five counties under quarantine for bird flu as identified in bulk tank testing, said Leibsle, who is with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. Statewide surveillance began in March 2025.
“We hadn’t seen this many dairies under quarantine for months,” he said. The cause of the recent increase is not known but may be weather-related.
“The strain of virus we are seeing in dairy cattle in Idaho is not being spread by migratory birds. That has been the case from the beginning,” Leibsle said. “Dairy cattle are giving it to other dairy cattle.”
Most Idaho dairy cattle identified as having bird flu are asymptomatic, he said. “The cattle are otherwise healthy and at a high level of production.”
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https://capitalpress.com/2026/04/21/bird-flu-found-in-more-idaho-dairy-herds/
