Avian flu confirmed in more US poultry, cattle; more than 500 herds now affected

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed more H5 avian influenza outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry.

Of 13 more confirmations in dairy cows, all were in California, lifting the state's total to 291 and putting the national total at 505 from 15 states.

Also, APHIS reported two more confirmations in poultry flocks, one involving backyard birds in Tulare County, which is part of the hard-hit Central Valley region that has been California's H5N1 epicenter for dairy cattle outbreaks. The other involves a backyard flock of 20 birds in Malheur County, Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture said the flock had chickens and ducks, that the avian flu detection is the first in Malheur County, and that the birds were humanely euthanized.

Alveo announces rapid-test deal with CDC

Alveo Technologies today announced that it has received an agreement from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a rapid molecular test at the point of need—beyond just the clinic setting—to differentiate between influenza A, influenza B, and H5 influenza in people. The agreement was part of an open call for innovation diagnostics that the CDC issued in June.

The portable easy-to-use test can help expand diagnostic capacity, which is currently limited to public health labs that have access to the CDC's H5 assay.