The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to report widespread detections of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus across multiple animal species and states in 2025. Recent cases include infections in domestic cats, with the total number now reaching 140, as well as detections in a desert cottontail rabbit in Maricopa County, Arizona, and a red fox in Costilla County, Colorado. Additional H5N1 cases have been identified in wild birds such as Canadian geese, snow geese, swans, hawks, owls, vultures, and eagles across various states including Arizona, Colorado, New York, Maryland, Wyoming, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, California, and Pennsylvania. The USDA also reported the first new H5N1-infected dairy cattle herd in Arizona in weeks, marking the state's fifth and the country's 1,074th dairy herd affected. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has extended the H5N1 Influenza A dairy cow testing program until September 30, 2025. In the United Kingdom, HPAI H5N1 has been confirmed in commercial poultry premises in North Yorkshire and Wrexham, Wales, and has been detected in wild birds, predominantly herring gulls. Notably, a clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 virus has been detected in a sheep in Great Britain. The virus circulating in the US is identified as the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b genotype B3.13. Michigan has reported at least 18 bald eagle deaths attributed to H5N1 this year, although the bald eagle population in Ohio remains robust, with active nests in nearly all counties. The USDA Secretary Rollins has provided updates on the bird flu strategy as the situation remains under close monitoring amid ongoing detections in multiple species and regions.
Active eagle nest reported in all but 1 Ohio county https://t.co/cHl5C0QdLN
Ohio says the bald eagle is thriving in the Buckeye State MORE HERE: https://t.co/Tr0W2qH8bx https://t.co/w1Ciah0NIt
Have you seen the Bald Eagle nests spotted around the Ohio Valley? https://t.co/YijE5CeJ4P