Oregon confirms its first bird flu case in dairy cattle: is milk safe, and what to do at home

What Oregon confirmed

ODA said milk from a Morrow County dairy tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. "This is the first detection of HPAI in Oregon dairy cattle," it said. The Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University reported preliminary results on November 6, 2026, from Oregon's routine statewide milk surveillance. ODA then sent more samples to USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory, which confirmed the positive results on November 10.

ODA has placed the dairy under quarantine, which restricts animal movement, and says "no additional affected dairies have been identified at this time." Oregon has tested milk from its licensed dairies since December 2024. ODA says HPAI was first found in U.S. dairy cattle in March 2024 and has since been identified in multiple states.

Oregon's state veterinarian, Dr. Ryan Scholz, said the detection "is significant," but "not unexpected given the continued spread of HPAI among dairy cattle nationally." ODA's release does not name the virus strain, and says most infected cows recover within two to three weeks.

Is milk safe?

Pasteurized milk is, ODA and FDA say, and CDC says pasteurization kills bird flu viruses in milk. ODA says pasteurized milk and dairy products "remain safe to consume, and there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply." It gives two reasons: "Pasteurization effectively inactivates the HPAI virus, and milk from sick animals is prohibited from entering the commercial milk supply."

FDA says it "is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe." CDC says pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses, in milk, and that choosing pasteurized milk and products made with it "is the best way to keep you and your family safe."

Raw milk is different. ODA says FDA "continues to advise against consuming raw (unpasteurized) milk because it does not undergo the heating process that kills viruses and bacteria." CDC says it does not know at this time whether bird flu viruses can pass to people through raw milk, or cheese made from raw milk, from infected cows. If you buy raw milk or raw-milk cheese, FDA and CDC both point to pasteurized as the safer choice.

What about eggs, chicken and beef?

Oregon's detection is in dairy cattle, and ODA's release does not mention eggs or poultry. On food, CDC's bird flu food safety page says cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses, and to cook all poultry products, including eggs, all the way before eating. For beef, CDC says to cook ground beef to 160°F and whole cuts to 145°F, then let them rest for 3 minutes.

CDC says there is no evidence that anyone in the United States has caught bird flu from eating properly handled and cooked poultry products. Our guide to eggs, chicken and milk during a bird flu outbreak has CDC's full list, from runny eggs to soft cheese.

The risk to people

ODA says "no human cases associated with this incident have been identified in Oregon," and that, according to OHA and CDC, "the current public health risk to the general population remains low." It says no person-to-person spread of this virus has been identified. Public health officials are educating farm workers exposed to infected animals and will monitor them for symptoms throughout the outbreak.

"With the use of appropriate personal protective equipment, the risk to farm workers remains low," said Dr. Melissa Sutton of OHA. CDC's national page, updated November 5, counts 74 reported human cases of H5 bird flu in the United States since February 2024, and says the current public health risk is low.

Our Washington and Utah bird flu story follows the dairy outbreak in Oregon's neighbor to the north.

What to do at home

For most households, nothing changes:

• Buy pasteurized milk, cheese and other dairy products. Check the label: FDA says many cheeses show whether they're made from raw or pasteurized milk, though no federal rule requires it.
• Skip raw milk and raw-milk products, which FDA advises against.
• Cook chicken, turkey and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F, as CDC advises.
• If you keep cattle or backyard birds in Oregon and they seem sick, ODA says to report suspected HPAI in any animal straight away, at 503-986-4711. Our backyard chickens guide covers keeping chickens safely, including what to do if birds fall sick.

What you don't need to do

You don't need to stock up on milk, pour out pasteurized milk you already have, or buy anything because of this news. ODA's release says there is no concern about the commercial milk supply, and it describes the response as focused on the affected dairy and the investigation around it. If you live outside Oregon, the same advice applies: pasteurized dairy, well-cooked poultry and eggs, and no raw milk.