Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b in Cattle: A Rising One Health Concern.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·
- DOI
- 10.3390/ani15131963
- PMID
- 40646862
- PMCID
- PMC12248869
- OpenAlex
- W4412005116
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Publisher unavailable
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The article identifies a novel zoonotic risk dimension through detection of infectious H5N1 virus in unpasteurized milk and notes the first confirmed human case linked to cattle exposure, underscoring the need for heightened surveillance, genomic monitoring, and One Health approaches to mitigate potential pandemic emergence.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
This review article synthesizes evidence on the epidemiology, pathology, diagnostic findings, and zoonotic implications of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infection in dairy cattle, addressing the unprecedented cross-species transmission observed in the United States during 2024.
Study design
This is a narrative review article synthesizing emerging evidence on the topic rather than a primary research study reporting original empirical data.
Population and setting
The review addresses HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infections in dairy cattle in the United States, with the first confirmed spillover events reported in 2024, and notes exposure of humans to infected cattle.
Main findings
The review documents that infected cattle exhibited decreased milk production, thickened or discolored milk, respiratory issues, and lethargy, with pathological findings showing mammary gland inflammation and viral detection in nasal secretions and raw milk. The authors note that while human-to-human transmission risk remains low, detection of H5N1 in an exposed human highlights zoonotic concerns, particularly regarding infectious virus presence in unpasteurized milk. The review emphasizes concerns about viral reassortment potential as the pathogen adapts across diverse mammalian hosts.
Public-health relevance
The article identifies a novel zoonotic risk dimension through detection of infectious H5N1 virus in unpasteurized milk and notes the first confirmed human case linked to cattle exposure, underscoring the need for heightened surveillance, genomic monitoring, and One Health approaches to mitigate potential pandemic emergence.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata and may not reflect the full scope of limitations discussed in the original paper. As a narrative review synthesizing emerging evidence, conclusions are inherently constrained by the rapidly evolving nature of the situation and potential publication lag between data collection and review finalization.
GIDS interpretation
This article, published in July 2025 in the journal Animals (MDPI), represents a peer-reviewed narrative review that consolidates evidence on a pathogen-host combination with documented emergence in 2024. The article's classification under diagnostics, genomic epidemiology, One Health, surveillance, and transmission dynamics topics indicates its relevance for ongoing situational awareness; however, the review's scope is forward-looking and emphasizes research gaps rather than confirmed surveillance findings.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 13 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.