1. USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Dairy Herd in Indiana
Milk Supply Safe; Considered Low Risk to Human Health and Safety
USDA Stakeholder Registry
November 2, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.,-Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed via PCR (polymerase chain reaction) detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 genotype B3.13 in a dairy cattle herd in Indiana. This detection was a result of routine National Milk Testing Strategy testing, not pre-movement surveillance.
This marks the first reported case of HPAI in cattle in Indiana. While dairy cattle in a total of 21 states have been infected since the start of the outbreak in March 2024, APHIS has seen cases in previously unaffected states this year. APHIS is working closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to conduct additional on-farm investigations, diagnostic testing, and epidemiological data collection to better understand the detection and prevent further disease spread.
The detection does not change USDA's HPAI eradication strategy. Biosecurity is still key to mitigating the risk of disease introduction or spread between premises. APHIS recommends enhanced biosecurity measures for all dairy farms. Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs, or any unusual sick or dead wildlife, to their state veterinarian.
2. Texas restricts animal movement across 14 counties to fight parasitic screwworm outbreak
By Karly Ryan
KBTX.com
October 31, 2026
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Texas agricultural authorities have placed strict animal movement restrictions on portions of 14 counties as state and federal agencies work to contain a growing outbreak of the parasitic New World screwworm.
Mandatory inspections and travel limits
Under executive director orders issued by the Texas Animal Health Commission, all warm-blooded animals - including livestock and pets - located within designated infested zones are barred from leaving without prior official authorization. The restrictions affect parts of Brewster, Crockett, Edwards, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio, Schleicher, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Val Verde, and Zapata counties.
Before moving animals out of these zones, owners must arrange an inspection through the TAHC or a certified inspector. Inspectors will verify animal identification, administer or confirm preventive treatment, and issue an official movement certificate that must travel with the animals.
Second human case of bird flu from cattle identified in Yakima County [WA]
Yakima Herald-Republic
November 1, 2026
A second case of bird flu has been confirmed in a person who was exposed to infected dairy cows in Yakima County.
The person is hospitalized with severe illness and has underlying health conditions, the Yakima Health District said in a news release on Saturday.
"The risk to the general public remains low, but we are taking this situation seriously," said Dr. Dave Atteberry, the health officer for the Yakima Health District. "We encourage dairy workers to answer calls and respond to text messages from public health officials so we can check on their health, provide guidance, and connect them with care if needed. Early communication helps us support workers who may have been exposed."
Yakima County, Washington, reports 2 more avian flu cases, 1 death
By Stephanie Soucheray, MA
CIDRAP News
November 2, 2026
Over the weekend health officials in Yakima County, Washington, said two more people were sickened with H5N1 avian flu, including a person who died after hospitalization for severe illness. The person had underlying health conditions and had contact with infected dairy cows, but no identifying details were released by the county.
"Avian influenza can cause severe illness, particularly among people who have underlying health conditions. While this is a serious and heartbreaking outcome, the risk to the general public remains low. We continue to work closely with our public health partners to monitor the situation and protect the health of our community," said Dave Atteberry, MD, the Yakima Health District health officer, in a press release yesterday.
This the first H5N1 death recorded this year, and the third recorded in the United States since 2024, when H5N1 was first detected in dairy cattle.
The third confirmed case-patient in Yakima County has not experienced severe illness or been hospitalized, officials said. Close contacts of all three patients are being monitored, but there is no suggestion of human-to-human transmission.
Yakima County reported the nation's first human H5N1 case of the year in mid-October, in a person who had a non-severe illness, following the first detection of avian flu in dairy herds in the region.
The county has since become a hot spot of H5N1 activity in dairy herds, and all three case-patients had known contact with infected animals on affected farms.
In the past 30 days, Washington has recorded 34 herds infected with H5N1, all but one in Yakima County. Per state officials, genetic sequencing for the virus detected in cattle from two Yakima County farms indicates a cow-adapted strain (B3.13) that has been circulating in dairy cattle since spring 2024.
H5N1 detected in Colorado milk tank
In other avian flu news, for the first time since 2024 Colorado has detected the virus during routine milk tank testing, with officials confirming H5N1 at a Weld County dairy.
"This detection underscores the importance of our routine bulk milk tank testing to keep our herds healthy and our food supply secure," said Colorado State Veterinarian Maggie Baldwin, DVM, in a statement. "Colorado has taken a proactive approach to monitoring and responding to avian influenza, ensuring that early detection leads to swift mitigation measures to protect consumers and our food supply."
Pasteurization kills H5N1, and the threat of contracting avian flu from pasteurized milk remains extremely low, Baldwin said.
4. Why PEDV Elimination is Within Reach
Eliminating PEDV nationwide is ambitious. But the science, tools and industry experience already in place give the National Pork Board's National Swine Health Strategy a strong starting point.
Written by Dr. Marisa Rotolo, director of swine health, National Pork Board
Pork Business
November 1, 2026
PEDV can enter a farm through contaminated trucks, footwear, equipment and other common contact points. Once introduced, it can spread quickly and cause significant animal health and production losses. When you consider that roughly 55-60% of U.S. commercial breeding herds have been exposed to the virus at one time or another,1 PEDV remains a challenge worth tackling together.
So, it's no surprise that the producer-led Swine Health Advisory Committee prioritized updating the national PEDV elimination framework as part of the National Swine Health Strategy.
Eliminating PEDV nationwide is ambitious. But the science, tools and industry experience already in place give us a strong starting point.
Why PEDV, and Why Now?
Forged by producers for producers, the National Swine Health Strategy launched earlier this year to track down and neutralize herd health threats. Leveraging industry collaboration and targeted partnerships to build a coordinated, science-based defense, the National Swine Health Strategy aims to help producers protect herd health by reducing the impact of domestic diseases and keeping foreign and emerging diseases from gaining a foothold.
The National Swine Health Strategy has multiple goals and priorities. PEDV elimination is an achievable place to start - and within reach.
PEDV doesn't mutate as often as other pathogens, like PRRSV, and its clinical signs are straightforward with a short incubation period. With robust diagnostics already in place and PEDV cases steadily decreasing, now is the right time to capitalize on the momentum we've built to make progress towards eliminating it from the U.S. herd.
Full text: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/education/why-pedv-elimination-within-reach
5. Researchers to study New World screwworm genetics to strengthen US response
Using samples from the ongoing outbreak in Honduras, the project will examine how populations spread, change and respond to treatments.
By Camryn Haines, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
TAMU News
November 2, 2026
As New World screwworm (NWS) continues to threaten animals in the United States, Texas A&M researchers are turning to the parasite's genetics to better understand where it comes from, how it changes and whether it could become resistant to the drugs used to control it.
A team led by scientists at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife and animal health experts in Honduras, has received approximately $4 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's New World Screwworm Grand Challenge for a two-year project that will use samples from the ongoing outbreak in Honduras to develop new tools for tracking and controlling the parasite.
The project will combine expertise in parasitology and genomics to study thousands of individual screwworms, creating what researchers expect to be the most comprehensive genomic analysis of the parasite to date.
6. H5N1 Outbreak Renews Interest in Vaccination for Dairy Cattle [edited]
As cases expand in Washington, researchers are studying whether vaccines can protect cattle, preserve milk production and limit mammary damage.
By Andrea Bedford
Bovine Veterinarian
November 2, 2026
H5N1 continues to circulate in U.S. dairy cattle, with a new cluster of detections in Washington adding to the outbreak's geographic reach. Last week, the Washington State Department of Agriculture confirmed 34 affected dairy herds in the state: 33 in Yakima County and one in neighboring Benton County. The first two detections were confirmed Oct. 8, marking Washington's first known cases in dairy cattle.
The Washington detections bring renewed attention to an outbreak that has affected dairy herds in 19 states since March 2024, according to the USDA. The virus identified in the initial Washington herds was the B3.13 strain, which has circulated in U.S. dairy cattle since spring 2024.
A new study [ see: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-026-03343-6 ]from the University of Pennsylvania evaluated an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccine designed to help dairy cows fight off H5N1. The vaccine carries instructions for making the virus's hemagglutinin (HA) protein, giving the immune system a target to recognize. The findings add to earlier research showing that mRNA vaccination can protect dairy cows against experimental H5N1 infection, with a closer look at what that protection could mean for milk production and udder health.
Full text: https://www.bovinevetonline.com/news/h5n1-outbreak-renews-interest-vaccination-dairy-cattle