# USDA Traces Washington H5N1 Bird Flu to Idaho Cattle

> USDA's APHIS said on November 4, 2026 that whole-genome sequencing of H5N1 from Washington dairy cattle matched genotype B3.13 and was consistent with spread from Idaho through cattle movement. The Washington herds were first confirmed on October 8 after previously testing negative under the National Milk Testing Strategy.

- Date: 2026-11-05 · published 2026-11-05T21:11:50.321Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/82449-usda-traces-washington-h5n1-bird-flu-to-idaho-cattle
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Linking the Washington outbreak to cattle movement points to ongoing spread in US dairy herds, which could tighten milk supply and add pressure on dairy-cattle surveillance and trade. The direct effect on feed-ingredient prices is limited.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2024-04-03 | [Bird flu outbreak in the US. What to know \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16104-bird-flu-outbreak-in-the-us-what-to-know-ap-news.md) | -4.7% | -5.0% |
| MILK | 2024-08-23 | [How scientists are working to solve the bird flu outbreak \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16071-how-scientists-are-working-to-solve-the-bird-flu-outbreak-ap-news.md) | -0.3% | +12.9% |
| MILK | 2025-07-23 | [Current Situation: Bird Flu in Dairy Cows \| Bird Flu \| CDC](https://feedsoft.ai/events/15983-current-situation-bird-flu-in-dairy-cows-bird-flu-cdc.md) | -0.6% | +0.1% |
| MILK | 2026-03-20 | [Why We Must Vaccinate US Dairy Cattle Against HPAI H5N1 \| The Journal of Infectious Diseases \| Oxford Academic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/15928-why-we-must-vaccinate-us-dairy-cattle-against-hpai-h5n1-the-journal-of.md) | +0.1% | +4.5% |
| MILK | 2026-05-05 | [Dairy farms in California may transmit H5N1 virus through multiple sources](https://feedsoft.ai/events/15913-dairy-farms-in-california-may-transmit-h5n1-virus-through-multiple-sources.md) | +0.4% | -0.2% |

## Sources

- myvetcandy.com: https://www.myvetcandy.com/news/2026/11/5/usda-traces-washington-bird-flu-outbreak-to-idaho-cattle-raising-new-concerns-about-h5n1-spread

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.