The first case of bird flu in cattle was reported on March 25, 2024. In less than a year, the virus has hit 973 herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first issued an order to test cows that farmers intended to move between states last April. Then, in December 2024, the agency issued a federal order for milk testing. The order stipulated that unpasteurized milk samples be collected from dairy processing facilities nationwide and tested, with the results being shared with the USDA.
Since then, the virus has been detected in 17 states: 747 herds in California, 64 in Colorado, 35 in Idaho, 31 in Michigan, 27 in Texas, 13 each in Iowa and Utah, nine each in Minnesota and New Mexico, seven each in Nevada and South Dakota, four in Kansas, two in Oklahoma, and one each in Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming.
