US Officials Confirm Three California Dairy Herds Impacted By H5N1 Avian Flu Outbreaks

The Los Angeles Times (9/4, Rust) reports, “Federal officials have confirmed that three California dairy herds have suffered outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu, due most likely to the transportation of cattle and not exposure to diseased birds.” Health authorities “announced last week that they suspected cows at three Central Valley dairies had contracted the illness, and were awaiting testing for confirmation.” On Tuesday, authorities “said those tests revealed that the strain of virus that infected California herds was nearly identical to that found in Colorado dairy herds – suggesting the infections were the result of interstate transfer of cattle.”