Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been a harsh reality for commercial poultry operations since 2016. In March, a multi-state outbreak of the virus was confirmed for the first time in U.S. dairy cattle. By April 1, the CDC confirmed a human H5N1 infection in a dairy farm employee. The advancement of the H5N1 virus is ranked as RRFN’s #5 for the past year. The risk to human health remains low, but the threat is real for poultry and dairy farms. More than half of the dairy herds in California have been affected by the virus since August resulting in a state of emergency for the country’s leading milk producer. Avian influenza results in high mortality in poultry operations, but it is more of a production issue in dairy cows. Clinical signs include low appetite and reduced milk production.
