Promising H5N1 vaccine protects dairy calves and mice against severe disease

Researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have developed a vaccine approach that shows promise in protecting against highly pathogenic bird flu, demonstrating strong efficacy in both mice and cattle. Avian influenza (H5N1) has disrupted agricultural systems globally, leading to the culling of more than 166 million commercial poultry birds in the United States since 2022. In 2024, the virus spread to dairy cattle—an unprecedented interspecies transfer—and subsequently caused illness in about 70 farm workers with close contact to infected animals.