New Type of Bird Flu Detected in Nevada Dairy Cows

The strain was identified on Jan. 31 through genome sequencing of milk from the state as part of the USDA’s nationwide mass milk-testing program.

A cow grazes in a field at a dairy farm in Petaluma, Calif., on April 26, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A new type of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in dairy cattle in Nevada, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said in a Feb. 5 statement.

The strain was discovered in six herds and is different from the version of HPAI, or bird flu, that has spread in cows throughout the United States since last year, officials said.