Indiana Returns to H5N1 'Affected' Status
Published: Friday, November 6, 2026
The H5N1 influenza virus was detected in two Newton County dairy herds in late October as part of regular National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) surveillance at a dairy processing facility located in another state.
After notification of the finding, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health collected samples at the identified farms for follow-up testing at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which was confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
The two dairies are operationally connected; no other cases in dairy cattle have been detected in Indiana. Regular monthly surveillance of milk storage silos at Indiana-based dairy processing facilities under the NMTS continues.
The H5N1 finding changes Indiana's Unaffected state status. Under USDA interstate movement requirements for affected states, all lactating dairy cows (including dairy-beef crosses) must have a negative H5N1 test before leaving Indiana.
Farms regularly shipping lactating cows have the option to enroll voluntarily in the Dairy Herd Status Program. To participate, producers should work with their private herd veterinarian and contact BOAH at animalhealth@boah.in.gov.
To view Indiana's H5N1 dairy detections dashboard and the status of Indiana's National Milk Testing Strategy surveillance efforts, visit the BOAH website.
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