H5N1 detected in two operationally connected Newton County dairy herds, WISH‑TV reports

A WISH‑TV story, citing the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, says the state identified H5N1 influenza virus in two operationally connected dairy herds in Newton County in late October and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories later confirmed the detections.

The report says the infections were first flagged through routine National Milk Testing Strategy surveillance after milk from the farms was tested at a processing facility in another state. It says the state board collected follow‑up samples for testing at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, has quarantined lactating cows at the affected site and plans testing of Grade A dairies and commercial poultry premises within a 10‑kilometer surveillance zone; testing in the zone will continue every 28 days until the quarantined farm is cleared, and the board’s response plan requires two consecutive negative test results in lactating cattle before lifting a quarantine, with weekly testing until that point, the report adds.

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