The highly pathogenic avian flu has been spreading across the United States since spring 2022, but the disease, which has primarily infected waterfowl and domestic poultry, has now begun to impact another major agricultural species: cows.
Since late March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has detected 34 cases of avian flu in cows across nine different states. Colorado became the latest state to confirm a cattle herd case on April 25, when the National Veterinary Services Laboratory announced it had found the disease circulating among dairy cows in Northeast Colorado.
The recent development has fueled questions about the threat avian flu poses to humans, as well as concerns about the safety of many common food items.