Bird flu has spread to a dairy herd in Ohio, marking the first such infection there, and has also affected additional herds in Kansas and New Mexico.
As reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), it extends the outbreak in cows and heightens concerns over potential human risks.
Since the outbreak’s initial detection in Texas and Kansas on March 25, the USDA has identified infected herds in six states. The Ohio Department of Agriculture noted that the Ohio dairy received cows from a Texas dairy on March 8, which later confirmed bird flu presence.
The USDA has not dismissed the possibility of disease transmission among cows. Early cases in Texas and Kansas likely stemmed from wild bird interactions, with subsequent infections in New Mexico, Michigan, and Idaho showing similar virus strains, per USDA findings.
The global spread of bird flu has been attributed to migratory birds since 2022, affecting poultry and various species. Kansas Animal Health Commissioner Justin Smith highlighted genetic evidence pointing to wild bird exposure as the source in Kansas.
According to USDA data, bird flu cases have been reported in three dairy herds in Kansas, two in New Mexico, seven in Texas, and one each in Ohio, Idaho, and Michigan. The disease’s expansion across species and territories has escalated human infection risks, as the head of the World Organization for Animal Health noted.
A Texas farm worker tested positive for bird flu, exhibiting only eye inflammation as a symptom. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assesses low human risk from bird flu.
