Indiana - Avian influenza in mammals & livestock 2025+

[Pathfinder]

Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals

Last Modified: March 12, 2025

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/mammals
​

 

[Pathfinder]

Keeping Your Pets Safe from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

March 17, 2025

The Purdue University Veterinary Hospital has not identified any cases of HPAI or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at our practices. However, we want to provide some information to help clarify the HPAI situation and to help you protect your pets and livestock.

HPAIs are a viral disease that can affect many species of animals. While it has been most commonly detected in wild birds and poultry, HPAI has been detected in other species such as foxes, bears, seals, skunks, mice, and bobcats. HPAI has also been observed in some zoo animals (mainly big cats), as well as domestic animals such as dairy cattle, cats, and dogs. HPAI can spread through contact with infected animals or animal products. This includes eating undercooked or raw meat or drinking unpasteurized or raw milk. There are recent reports of indoor domestic house cats contracting HPAI via raw diets, and some raw pet foods have been recalled because of HPAI contamination.

There are several things that you can do to help protect your pet from contracting HPAI. It is recommended to keep your pet indoors to limit exposure to sick or dead wildlife or livestock, and limit exposure to rodents. Do not feed raw foods and unpasteurized dairy products to pets. Although human infections are rare, it is important to take proper precautions when handling raw meat or milk and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) if handling sick or dead animals.

The signs of HPAI in cats are fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eye, discharge from the eyes and nose, respiratory distress, and neurologic signs, including tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness. Signs in dogs are less well understood. If you suspect that your animal has HPAI, please contact your veterinarian, isolate any sick or exposed animal, and monitor yourself for symptoms.

To protect our patients and staff, we will be asking owners of all feline and avian patients the following screening questions both when an appointment is made and at check-in.

1. Is your cat fed a raw diet?
2. Has your cat been exposed to cattle/dairy farms, or raw, unpasteurized milk?
3. Does your cat have signs of neurologic or respiratory disease that are new in the last 14 days, such as blindness, falling, stumbling, circling, head tilt, pupils of different sizes, seizures, ocular/nasal discharge, sneezing or fever?
4. Has your cat or bird been exposed to known infected poultry farms or flocks or had recent interactions with dead birds?
5. Has your cat or bird been exposed to sick or deceased cats?
6. Has your cat or bird been exposed to anyone who works in an infected dairy or infected poultry farm environment?

For more information please visit:

• Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University:
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Poultry
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Livestock
• Indiana State Board of Animal health:
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Updates
• American Animal Hospital Association:
  • H5N1 influenza in cats: Transmission, diagnosis, and prevention
  • H5N1 in backyard poultry: What you need to know
• American Veterinary Medical Association:
  • Avian Influenza
  • Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in Cats
  • Avian influenza in pets and backyard flocks
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
  • H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus: Interim Recommendations for Prevention, Monitoring, and Public Health Investigations
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine:
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Resource Center

Writer(s): Purdue University Veterinary Hospital Infection Control Committee | pvmnews@purdue.edu
​
https://vet.purdue.edu/news/pvh-update-hpai.php

 

[Pathfinder]

Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals

Last Modified: March 25, 2025
...

​
...
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/mammals
​

 

[Michael Coston]

Washington Adds 6 More H5N1 Infected Herds (n=40) - Indiana Reports 1st Infected Herd​

#19,398

As the USDA dashboard indicates (above), 6 more dairy herds have been reported as being infected with H5N1 in Washington state, bringing to 40 the number identified since October 8th.

All but one have been reported from Yakima County.




Although it is not yet reflected in the USDA dashboard, the USDA (h/t Maggie Fox on Twitter/X) has posted the following statement on Indiana's first detection of HPAI H5N1 B3.13 in a dairy herd.

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Dairy Herd in Indiana

Contact: aphispress@usda.gov

Milk Supply Safe; Considered Low Risk to Human Health and Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 2, 2026—Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed via PCR (polymerase chain reaction) detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 genotype B3.13 in a dairy cattle herd in Indiana. This detection was a result of routine National Milk Testing Strategy testing, not pre-movement surveillance.

This marks the first reported case of HPAI in cattle in Indiana. While dairy cattle in a total of 21 states have been infected since the start of the outbreak in March 2024, APHIS has seen cases in previously unaffected states this year. APHIS is working closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to conduct additional on-farm investigations, diagnostic testing, and epidemiological data collection to better understand the detection and prevent further disease spread.

The detection does not change USDA’s HPAI eradication strategy. Biosecurity is still key to mitigating the risk of disease introduction or spread between premises. APHIS recommends enhanced biosecurity measures for all dairy farms. Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs, or any unusual sick or dead wildlife, to their state veterinarian.

This detection does not pose a risk to consumer health or affect the safety of the commercial milk supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating HPAI virus, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted from the commercial milk tank or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPAI viruses circulating in birds and U.S. dairy cattle pose a low risk to the general public in the United States. However, people who have job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds or mammals are at higher risk of infection and should take appropriate precautions outlined in CDC guidance

To recap:

• In addition to 40 infected herds in Washington
• There have been 3 confirmed human infections in Washington state (1 fatal)
• The first H5N1 infected herd reported by Colorado in nearly 2 years
• and now, this first spillover in Indiana.

All in the space of 3 weeks.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2026/11/washington-adds-6-more-h5n1-infected.html

 

[sharon sanders]

Please see our US - H5N1 Avian Flu in Mammal Livestock List

 

[Pathfinder]

Bird flu detected in two Indiana dairy cow herds
...
Author: Olivia Oliver
Published: 12:48 PM EST November 2, 2026
Updated: 12:57 PM EST November 2, 2026

NEWTON COUNTY, Ind. —
...
According to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, the virus was detected in two Newton County herds in late October as part of regular National Milk Testing Strategy surveillance. The BOAH says it was found at a dairy processing facility in another state, and the BOAH has collected samples at the affected farms for follow up testing.

Newton County is around 115 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

The two dairies impacted are connected operationally, BOAH confirmed, and no other dairy cattle have tested positive yet in Indiana. Regular monthly surveillance at dairy processing facilities' storage silos will also continue.
...

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/health/bird-flu-detected-in-two-indiana-dairy-cow-herds-avian-influenza-h5n1-virus-milk-farms-outbreak/531-73955cf9-b813-4fe9-8040-9e727d21f1b1

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

...

Indiana State Board of Animal Health: Dairy HPAI Situation Update Dashboard

www.in.gov