Bird flu hits Oregon dairy herd as virus strikes Northwest

A dairy herd in Morrow County in Oregon has been infected by bird flu, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed Nov. 10, as the virus continues to strike the Northwest. “While this detection is significant, it is not unexpected given the continued spread of (avian influenza) among dairy cattle nationally,” State Veterinarian Ryan Scholtz said in a statement. USDA and the Oregon Department of Agriculture are collecting information on the farm, USDA said. Prior to the detection of bird flu, milk from the herd was being routinely tested for the virus. Oregon’s only previous case of bird flu was two years ago in the livestock of a backyard producer. Bird flu has infected 1,232 dairy herds in 22 states since the outbreak began in March 2024. USDA confirmed two new cases in Idaho on Nov. 6, bringing the state’s total cases to 180, the second-most in the U.S. behind California. Washington has had all 43 of its cases confirmed since Oct. 8.

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