#18,376
The number of known herds infected with HPAI H5 continues to rise, with the USDA incrementing their case count for the third day in a row (Monday +41, Tues +8, Today +7), as more test results are validated.
In less than 2 months California has gone from being presumably free of the virus, to the home of nearly half of the nation's infected herds.
Given the lack of mandatory testing, it is unknown how many other herds around the country may be (or may have been) infected. Nor do we know how many more of California's 1,100+ herds may be affected.
For now, `Don't test, don't tell' continues to be the preferred option for many dairy operators, who are banking on the idea that given enough time, the virus will `burn itself out'.
While that could happen, the trend in California is not encouraging.
