2024 Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in Dairy Cattle
On April 1, 2024, DSHS reported a human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus after confirmation by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The case was identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with avian influenza. According to the CDC, this is the second human case of H5N1 flu in the United States and the first linked to an exposure to cattle.
The case occurred following reports of H5N1 flu infections in cattle at multiple dairies in the Texas Panhandle. The cattle infections do not present a concern for the commercial milk supply. Dairies are required to destroy or divert milk from any sick cows, plus pasteurization kills avian flu viruses.
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