A confirmed case of bird flu in an Oklahoma dairy herd brings the total outbreak in dairy cattle to 161 cases in 13 states since March 25. The virus has also impacted over 99 million domestic birds in 48 states.

The USDA has committed over $1.3 billion to respond to the bird flu outbreak in poultry and livestock. Jonathan Zack, director of preparedness and incident coordination with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said the Centers for Veterinary Biologics sent a request for information to biological vaccine companies in May asking about existing vaccines for potential use in dairy cattle.

Veterinary Consultant Danelle Bickett-Weddle said the industry utilizes new methods and technologies to fight the disease, including active observational surveillance. However, the best defense right now is biosecurity.

Read more here on the latest developments in the bird flu outbreak in the dairy herd.