Across the United States, farm animals such as cows and chickens have been testing positive for a disease known as avian influenza, more commonly referred to as avian flu or bird flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bird flu is a highly pathogenic disease caused by an infection found in aquatic birds. The outbreak in cows began in Texas when one cow tested positive for bird flu, and from there more and more cases of bird flu were reported.

The first reported cases of avian flu in cows were reported on March 26, 2024, when milk from dairy farms in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico all tested positive for bird flu, The Guardian stated. These reports shocked health officials, since there had never been any previous reports of cows catching bird flu. Health officials assured the public that there is low risk of getting infected from milk, and that the milk from sick cows would not reach store shelves.

Only a week after the initial reports, farms in Idaho and Michigan have reported avian flu infecting their cattle. However, cows weren’t the only ones who had been infected by the disease.   A herd of goats on a Minnesota farm tested positive for avian influenza a week before the first cow case. CBS News wrote that on April 2, 2024, nearly two million chickens were found to be infected with bird flu. The chickens were located at an egg farm in Texas controlled by Cal-Maine Foods, the largest fresh egg producer in the United States. Bird flu was also detected on an egg farm in Michigan, researchers found. Cal-Maine Foods has stated that there is no risk of contracting bird flu from eggs, and no recall has been made. Bird flu has previously ravaged the poultry industry, with 48 states having previously had an outbreak in their farms.

More cases of bird flu were discovered in Texas, this time in humans. The Hill states that on April 1, 2024, a dairy worker on a farm in Texas tested positive for avian influenza after coming in contact with a cow. This marks the second time a human has ever contracted bird flu, with the only other occurrence happening in 2022. The CDC is closely investigating this case, since this is the first instance of mammal-to-mammal infection of bird flu. The worker has only been reported to have minor symptoms, and is likely to make a full recovery.

While the risk to humans is low, the bird flu outbreak may have a large impact on the food industry of the United States.