Two dozen companies working to find bird flu vaccine for cows, US agriculture secretary says

Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" words in this illustration taken, June 10, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Leah Douglas

Twenty-four companies are working to develop an avian flu vaccine for cattle, as the virus spreads among U.S. dairy herds, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters on Wednesday.

Bird flu has infected 90 dairy herds across 12 states since late March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Three dairy farm workers also have been infected with the virus, two in Michigan and one in Texas.