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Dairy cows in Nevada have been infected with a new form of bird flu that is distinct from the version that has been spreading through herds over the last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday. The finding indicates that the virus, known as H5N1, has spilled from birds into cows at least twice — leading to these two sets of infections — and that it could continue to do so. ... The cows in Nevada were infected with a version of the virus known as D1.1, which has been spreading in wild birds and poultry. The D1.1 form of H5N1 has also shown itself to be dangerous to people. Of the 67 Americans known to have become ill with H5N1 so far, the only one who died was infected with this version. That person, a Louisiana resident older than 65, had cared for sick and dying birds and died in early January. (Anthes and Mandavilli, 2/5)

With bird flu cases cropping up across the country — including in Virginia — members of the Virginia’s Democratic congressional delegation are demanding the immediate reinstatement of disease and virus reports after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered a pause in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) communications. In a letter sent to the CDC’s acting director, Susan Coller Monarez, and U.S. Department of Agriculture acting director Gary Washington, the lawmakers urged the agencies to resume publishing critical public health data, warning that the delay could have serious consequences for both public health and the state’s economy. (Woods, 2/6)

Bird flu has affected 126 flocks in Ohio over the past 30 days, representing a total number of 22.95 million birds on infected premises. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge said Ohio could be such a bird flu hotspot because of its location. “We base this disease on migratory bird movements," he explained. "We know this time of year, there's a lot of birds moving. Unfortunately, there's maps out there that show, from our standpoint, we were in a migratory bird path." (Kay, 2/5)

Researchers have stressed that bird flu still poses a minimal risk to the general public, though that may change as the virus continues to circulate and potentially mutate. But the many empty shelves in stores and higher prices on the eggs that people can find have raised concerns among consumers about the safety of the egg supply. At this point, experts say it’s unlikely that an egg contaminated with avian influenza would make it to grocery stores. Federal regulations require that commercially packaged eggs be washed and sanitized, which helps remove virus particles from the outside of the shell. (Blum, 2/5)

Egg farms are still recovering from the 2022 outbreak but now there’s also the cage-free law, mutations and competition as bird flu devastates other states. (Chuang, 2/5)

As avian influenza concerns soar and scientists search for ways to ground the virus, researchers have found new hope for preventing severe illness from bird flu. University of Pittsburgh, and National Institutes of Health researchers shared promising results on a groundbreaking antibody treatment they gave to monkeys. (Guay, 2/5)