Avian flu—otherwise known as bird flu, or H5N1—has spread to dairy cattle in several states across the country. The first confirmed case of the virus in dairy cattle was recorded in March 2024. Luckily, there have been no cases among cattle in Wisconsin.
As a prime dairy state, Wisconsin has implemented mandatory testing of milk entering the supply chain, and researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are actively helping to keep tabs on bird flu in dairy milk by testing samples.