Kansas dairy herds have remained free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) for nearly a year, according to Kansas State University dairy specialist Mike Brooke. The last confirmed case in the state was on April 17, 2024.

Since HPAI was first detected in dairy herds 16 months ago, 983 herds across 17 states have been infected. A national milk monitoring system continues testing raw milk samples from dairy processing plants to identify potential outbreaks, helping detect new cases in affected states.

“So as we think about a typical virus, a typical virus generally does change over time and it actually does become weaker. So we might expect that we would have less of a symptomatic response from our dairy animals as we move forward and as this virus continues to grow weaker over time,” said Brooke.

Kansas State University’s K-State Research and Extension continues to provide updates and guidance for dairy farmers on managing herd health and preventing disease outbreaks.