Particles of highly pathogenic avian influenza A were detected in tissue from a dairy cow, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on May 24.
The influenza, also known as the bird flu or H5N1, was found in muscle and other samples from the cow, according to the USDA. The cow was one of 109 sent to be culled “for systemic disease,” the agency said. Testing has been completed on 96 of the cows, and the cow is the only one to have viral particles.
Authorities are working to figure out where the cow came from and plan to work with its former owner. Government personnel at the slaughterhouse “identified signs of illness in the positive animal during post-mortem inspection and prevented the animal from entering the food supply,” the USDA said. The meat did not enter the food supply, which should “provide further confidence that the food safety system we have in place is working,” according to the USDA.
The avian influenza jumped from birds to cattle in late 2023 or early this year, and has since infected at least 58 herds across nine states, according to the USDA. The states are Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. Two humans in America have experienced confirmed cases of the flu: one in Michigan and one in Texas.
Both people suffered eye inflammation and have since recovered, authorities say. Transmission from cows to the people is suspected. Worldwide, a majority of nearly 900 patients reported to th.
