USDA confirms Indiana’s first reported H5N1 case in dairy cattle
USDA says routine national milk testing identified H5N1 in an Indiana dairy herd, the state’s first reported cattle case.
What the record says
Federal laboratories confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in an Indiana dairy herd November 2, USDA announced. The agency described it as Indiana’s first reported case in cattle. The detection came through routine National Milk Testing Strategy testing, rather than surveillance before cattle movement. USDA identified the virus as genotype B3.13 and said cattle in 21 states had been infected since the outbreak began in March 2024. APHIS is working with Indiana animal-health officials on farm investigations and additional testing. It says the detection does not change its eradication strategy and emphasizes farm biosecurity. USDA says the commercial pasteurized milk supply remains safe. Its notice also distinguishes the low risk to the general public from the higher infection risk for people exposed to infected animals.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Producers should follow APHIS biosecurity resources and report livestock illness to their state veterinarian, as USDA advises.
Limits and what is not established
This is a confirmed animal-health detection, not a report of a human infection. The milk-safety statement concerns the commercial pasteurized supply and does not establish raw milk is safe.
Sources checked November 4, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.
Original sources
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: original information