Bird Flu Detected in Alpacas for the First Time: USDA

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in alpacas for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on May 28. The agency’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain of influenza, also known as bird flu, in alpacas from a farm where infected poultry were killed in May. The farm is located in Jerome County, Idaho, officials said. Four out of the 18 alpacas on the farm tested positive for H5N1. The alpacas had “close contact” with infected birds. None have died as of yet. “While this HPAI confirmation is not unexpected due to the previous HPAI detection on the premises, the high amount of virus in the environment, and co-mingling of multiple livestock species on-farm, it is the first HPAI detection in alpacas,” the Department of Agriculture said in a statement....