By Lisa Schnirring
Rose Acre Farms, the nation's second largest egg producer, said yesterday that tests have confirmed avian flu at its facility in Seymour, Indiana, which could further stretch the supply of eggs as commercial farms in several states continue to battle the spread of the H5N1 virus.
In other developments, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported more H5N1 detections in mammals, poultry, dairy cows, and wild birds, and European health groups issued a guide for assessing avian flu mutations that may pose a risk to humans.
Layer farms hard hit in poultry outbreaks
The company said on X that it first noticed mortality in the layers on January 25 and quickly sent samples for testing. Rose Acre Farms has operations across the country. The Seymour, Indiana, facility is located in Jackson County. The Indiana Board of Animal Health of Animal Health on January 26 announced that the virus had been detected at a layer farm in Jackson County that has 2.8 million birds.
The company said it tightened its already rigorous biosecurity measures, is working with state officials, and is monitoring its other facilities.
Since the first of the year, outbreaks at layer farms have led to the loss of at least 13 million birds.
Virus confirmed in more poultry, wild birds, cows
Meanwhile, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed one more detection in a poultry flock, which involves backyard birds in New York's Ulster County.
In an update on wild birds, the agency added about 90 more confirmations across a wide range of states, mostly involving samples collected at the very end of 2024 and in 2025. Many were snow geese found dead, as well as raptors, but the group also included ducks and other waterfowl that were harvested by hunters or collected for live sampling.
Regarding dairy cow detections, APHIS added 5 more confirmations, all in herds from California, lifting the national total to 949 and the state's total to 732.
Cats, dolphins among infected mammals
APHIS yesterday reported nine more H5N1 confirmations in mammals, all with collection dates in the final days of 2024 or in 2025. Additions to the list include four more domestic cats, including two in South Dakota's Faulk County and one each from California (Contra Costa County) and Oregon (Washington County).
Officials also reported two more detections in bottlenose dolphins, both from Brevard County in Florida. Other mammals that were positive in tests for H5N1 included two red foxes, one in Delaware and the other in Pennsylvania, and an Eastern gray squirrel in New York's Albany County.
European groups issue avian flu mutation guide
In other developments, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today issued a framework for assessing avian flu virus mutations, which included recommendations for animal health and public health groups.
The agencies based their findings on an analysis of genetics, human case studies, and what's known about antibody presence. They identified 34 mutations that might give avian flu viruses greater capacity to spread to humans.
Animal and public health labs that conduct genetic analysis can refer to the list, which could be continuously updated, to monitor the emergence of strains that could pose a threat to humans.
Bernhard Url, DVM, the EFSA's acting director, said in a press statement that, in 2024, avian influenza viruses expanded their reach, infecting previously unaffected species. "Our work identifies key mutations linked to a potential spread to humans, requiring rapid detection and response," he said. "Collaboration and data sharing along the chain of actors involved remain essential in tackling emerging situation."
Source : umn.edu