Overview
- The Dutch agriculture minister informed parliament that antibodies to H5N1 were detected in milk from one cow on a Friesland dairy farm.
- No active virus was found in the cow, authorities report no signs of spread to other holdings, and follow-up testing is underway.
- Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut says it knows of no comparable case outside the United States and assesses the risk to ruminants as very low.
- The affected milk was withheld from processing, and commercial milk products are considered safe because pasteurization inactivates the virus.
- The investigation began after a cat on the farm died of H5N1, and officials are examining possible exposure via infected birds or contaminated feces, feed, water, or milking equipment.