US EditionNetherlands Detects First Bird Flu Case in Cattle Outside the US
Dutch authorities found H5N1 antibodies in one dairy cow after a farm cat died of the virus, with no active virus or spread detected among cattle, officials said.
- On January 23, 2026, the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture announced that H5N1 antibodies were detected in one dairy cow's milk at a Friesland farm, marking Europe's first such finding.
- After the barn cat died last month, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority traced contacts and sampled cattle on January 15, 2026, at the dairy farm in Noardeast-Frysl�n, Friesland.
- On January 20, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research reported one cow had H5N1 antibodies in its milk, while PCR tests on individual and bulk milk found no active virus, with five individual milk PCRs needing retesting this weekend.
- The Dutch Public Health Institute judged the risk `very low` and noted that farm workers and the veterinarian are being tested by the Municipal Health Service , while pasteurisation inactivates any potential virus.
- Following U.S. detections and OFFLU guidance, researchers warn cattle infections could help H5N1 adapt to mammals; since October 2025, more than three dozen farms had outbreaks with over 1.5 million birds culled.
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8 Articles
Dutch authorities find bird flu antibodies in cow
New Delhi: The Netherlands has identified antibodies of the bird flu virus in a dairy cow, but the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza virus spreading from animals to humans is very small, according to the Dutch authorities. The Dutch agriculture minister, in a detailed letter, informed the country’s parliament that the H5N1 virus was discovered in a dead cat that died last month. Following this, authorities from the Netherlands Food and Consumer …
H5N1 Influenza Antibodies in a Cow, The Netherlands
A few months ago, there was a cluster of kittens from a dairy goat farm in the Netherlands that likely all died from H5N1 influenza (only one kitten was tested). That wasn’t too surprising since the H5N1 virus is circulating in wild birds internationally, and we know that cats are highly susceptible to the virus, and can develop very severe (and not uncommonly fatal) disease. Being from a dairy goat farm, there was concern the kittens could have…
Dutch authorities find bird flu antibodies in a cow, no active H5N1 virus detected
New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) The Netherlands has identified antibodies of the bird flu virus in a dairy cow, but the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza virus spreading from animals to humans is very small, according to the Dutch authorities.
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