Bird flu found in Nebraska dairy herd

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has announced the first-ever case of avian flu found in a dairy herd in the state.

The department said the herd is located in the central part of the state and has been quarantined.

Nebraska now becomes the 18th state where bird flu has been detected in dairy cattle since the virus was first found in a herd in March 2024, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Since then, the disease has been found in nearly 1,800 dairy herds, with the vast majority of those cases occurring in California.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed that the strain of the virus in the Nebraska herd is very similar to a strain from California.

APHIS said there is little risk to human health or the commercial milk supply from bird flu.

Dairies are required to keep milk from sick animals from entering the food supply, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that pasteurization is effective at inactivating the virus.