1. Mississippi reports first commercial poultry bird flu case since spring 2025
By Morgan Howard
DarkhorsePressNow.com
February 5, 2026
AMITE COUNTY - A commercial broiler chicken flock in Amite County has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza, according to the Mississippi Board of Animal Health.
The agency said it was notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory after testing was conducted at the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
State officials said the affected property has been quarantined, and birds on the premises were depopulated to help prevent the spread of the virus. Birds from the flock did not enter the food supply, officials said.
The Mississippi Board of Animal Health said it is working with federal animal health officials in a joint response and is coordinating with the poultry industry to increase flock monitoring statewide.
2. Illinois Horse Tests Positive for EHV-1
EDCC Health Watch
EquiManagement.com
February 5, 2026
One horse in Saline County, Illinois, has tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). The horse was admitted to a veterinary hospital, where it improved over 24 hours with supportive care. It is no longer at the hospital, and no horses were directly exposed during its hospital stay.
Full text: https://equimanagement.com/news/edcc-health-watch/illinois-horse-tests-positive-for-ehv-1/
3. NPPC: Producer-led efforts are strengthening U.S. pork industry against emerging disease threats
By Erin Anderson
Brownfield Ag News
February 5, 2026
Anna Forseth says research through the National Swine Health Strategy could help prevent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza from entering the swine herd.
"Recently, we saw the virus cross over into the dairy sector," she says. "The swine industry has been working with stakeholders to include the USDA on what a response plan might be."
She tells Brownfield emerging disease threats are never off the radar.
"As New World Screwworm continues to move northward, we except that to take a lot of our attention in 2026," she says. "We continue to monitor its movement."
4. Federal testing improves detection of H5N1 avian flu in US dairy herds
By Laine Bergeson
CIDRAP News
February 5, 2026
Influenza A(H5N1) viral RNA was widely present in US retail milk during the spring 2024-25 outbreak among dairy cattle, according to a report published late last week in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In milk samples collected from April 13 to May 3, 2024, researchers detected influenza A viral RNA in 36% of samples from 13 states, including in five states (Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma) that had no reported outbreaks at the time. Across the country, only 29 infected herds had been reported as of April 12, a total that was inconsistent with the number of positive samples.
"Our study revealed that early in the outbreak, the influenza A(H5N1) virus was more widespread than reported," the researchers write.
The team led by scientists at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine compared the findings with samples collected from December 27, 2024 to January 29, 2025. During the later period, only 6.9% of retail samples were positive. All the infected milk samples had been processed in California.
NASDA calls for unified action on foreign animal disease threats
State ag departments support USDA action plans for highly pathogenic avian influenza, New World screwworm and African swine fever.
Industry Release
National Hog Farmer
February 5, 2026
During the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 2026 Winter Policy Conference this week, NASDA members amended the organization's policy to support the implementation of a robust national action plan for the detection, surveillance, response and containment of New World screwworm and other animal diseases of significance.
"NASDA is grateful for the steps USDA has already taken to protect the U.S. from a New World screwworm outbreak," NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said. "Going forward, continued swift, collective action across levels of government is necessary for response plans to remain effective and consistent as needs to address the prevention of foreign animal diseases are elevated. NASDA is advocating for the development of a standing national action plan for all animal diseases of significance to specifically include state agriculture departments as partners."
NASDA's amended policy states, "NASDA supports the development and maintenance by USDA, in close coordination with states, of robust, integrated and well-communicated national action plans for the detection, surveillance, response and containment of foreign animal diseases of significance including, but not limited to, highly pathogenic avian influenza, New World screwworm and African swine fever. Plans could include the development of vaccinations and treatments but must be accompanied by enhanced or improved biosecurity measures and surveillance."
NASDA's 2026 Policy Priorities Focus on Pesticides, Animal Diseases, and Farm Bill Food Safety
By Food Safety Magazine Editorial Team
Food Safety Magazine
February 4, 2026
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has set its federal policy priorities for 2026, comprising five areas of focus.
In 2026, NASDA will focus on:
Agricultural labor reform
Animal disease preparedness and traceability
The Farm Bill
Pesticide regulations
Regional food procurement and distribution.
Food safety-related issues are central to NASDA's Farm Bill, pesticides, and animal diseases and traceability advocacy for 2026.
The Farm Bill and Food Safety
NASDA's food safety-related Farm Bill recommendations include:
Providing resources to assist farmers in complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
Increasing funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Supporting robust animal disease prevention including the development of an early disease detection warning system for coordinated government-industry? outbreak response
Maintaining the Comprehensive Food Safety Training Network for cybersecurity at the authorized level of $20 million per year
Strengthening U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pesticide product labeling regulations and EPA pesticide risk mitigation efforts.
6. H5N1 Causes Die-off of Antarctic Skuas, a Seabird
Skua Deaths Mark First Wildlife Mortality Due to Avian Flu on Antarctica
By Kat Kerlin
UC Davis News
February 5, 2026
More than 50 skuas in Antarctica died from the high pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1 in the summers of 2023 and 2024, marking the first documented die-off of wildlife from the virus on the continent. That is confirmed for the first time in a study led by Erasmus MC in The Netherlands and the University of California, Davis. It published this week in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
A relative of gulls, skuas are predatory, large brown birds living mostly in polar and subpolar environments. Similar to raptors, they play an important ecological role as scavengers. That role could position them to further spread the virus across Antarctica, the report notes.
Full text: https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/h5n1-causes-die-antarctic-skuas-seabird