BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — Following the Avian Flu being detected in Box Elder County, Utah officials are prompting mandatory testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza for all dairy farms in the county. This comes less than a month after a farm in Cache County was placed under quarantine.
As a result, all dairy farms in the county will undergo mandatory weekly surveillance and testing, which is funded by the federal government. In the event of a positive test, a dairy is placed under quarantine. During a quarantine, lactating cattle won't be allowed to move on or off dairies unless they are going directly to slaughter.
In March 2024, HPAI H5N1 was detected in dairy cattle in Texas and spread to 19 other states, including Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. That year, several northern Utah farms were placed on quarantine.
There have been no confirmed cases of HPAI in humans in Utah.
Workers at dairy farms are asked to report any signs of illness in poultry or dairy cattle to the State Veterinarian's Office at statevet@utah.gov.
