For dairy veterinarians, is bird flu a work hazard?

When Dr. David Hernke attended a conference for bovine practitioners in Ohio last year, he was asked to roll up his sleeve for science.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was collecting samples of blood from veterinarians who work with cattle to determine the prevalence of a highly virulent form of avian influenza that's been infecting a wide variety of animals besides birds — including dairy cows, seals, sheep and cats.

This story was published on April 22, 2025.