A new type of avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, has been discovered in Nevada.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said in a statement that it confirmed a new genotype of the virus in dairy cattle.
“This is the first detection of this virus genotype in dairy cattle (all previous detections in dairy cattle have been HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13). Genotype D1.1 represents the predominant genotype in the North American flyways this past fall and winter and has been identified in wild birds, mammals, and spillovers into domestic poultry,” the statement read.
A statement from the Nevada Department of Agriculture said that two dairy cattle herds were quarantined due to bird flu detections. “The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory is continuing testing to confirm what strain of virus has been detected in Churchill County,” the department said. “Preliminary results show this detection to be consistent with a strain that has also been detected in wild birds in all North American flyways.”
“The challenge with this virus is that it may be spread through contaminated clothing worn and equipment shared between animals, but birds carrying the disease can also infect domestic animals and livestock,” NDA Director J.J. Goicoechea, DVM, said in a statement. “We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep equipment clean, practice good animal health safety practices, and bolster biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of disease.”
Prior to leaving the White House, the former Biden administration announced a $306 million investment aimed at bolstering bird flu monitoring and preparedness efforts across the United States.
