Bird flu spreads to three dairy herds in Michigan, cats in South Dakota

Three more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in dairy herds were reported by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Also, H5N1 has been detected in two domestic cats in South Dakota, but neither of them were from affected poultry farms or dairy farms. In related news, researchers in Washington State have developed a full genetic sequence of the H5N1 virus from milk. With this new information, they say they can better monitor progression of the disease in dairy cattle.