More cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in dairy cattle, and now one case has been confirmed in a human. As a result, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has issued an importation order effective immediately.
According to Fox News, the CDC announced yesterday that a person in Texas has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The CDC said this is the second case of a human testing positive for HAPI in the United States, after a previous case was observed in Colorado in 2022, however the CDC said the human health risk assessment remains low. This person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with the virus.
NDA said there have been no reported detections of HPAI in Nebraska dairy cattle or other livestock.
The importation order will require all breeding female dairy cattle entering Nebraska to obtain a permit issued by NDA prior to entry.
The new importation order will be in place until April 30 and will be re-evaluated then.
As of April 1, HPAI has been detected in two additional states in lactating dairy cattle. Cases have been confirmed in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Michigan, and Idaho.
