By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Nebraska has detected its first case of bird flu in a dairy cattle herd, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday, showing the virus continues to spread in livestock after an outbreak began last year.

Dairy cattle in 17 states have been infected since the start of the outbreak in March 2024, according to the USDA. California, Michigan, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and Texas have also reported cases in dairy herds this year.

The herd in Nebraska is located in the central part of the state and has been quarantined, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Infected dairy cows often suffer from reduced milk production.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonali Paul)

See Full Page