In late March, USDA APHIS confirmed the H5N1 influenza (Influenza A) virus in dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas. This specific virus had previously devastated poultry as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or “High-Path”. While HPAI is fatal to chickens, turkeys and cats, in dairy cattle it causes reduced milk production with recovery and very few cow deaths. A recent white paper from UMN Extension and the UMN College of Veterinary Medicine notes that dairy cattle testing shows high loads of the virus in raw milk; in addition, nasal swab, lung tissue and urine samples have also tested positive indicating that they may play a role in transmission.