After more than seven months of circulation, high path avian flu cases are beginning to die down in dairy cattle.
Most states have now gone several weeks without new cases, giving USDA confidence in eliminating the virus in dairy cattle.
Colorado leads the nation in infections, with 64 herds reported this year, but it has not reported an outbreak since mid-August.
The Department of Health and Human Services will partner with USDA to study how the virus spreads. HHS says that it will pay $72 million to three companies to double the stockpile of vaccines by next year.
Sixteen human cases of HPAI have been reported this year. All but one were in dairy and poultry workers, which came as no surprise.
However, one infection in Missouri has left many scratching their heads as the patient had no known contact with animals.
The CDC is investigating and calls it a complex and time-consuming process.
The patient had very small amounts of the virus in their system. So far, it appears as though the virus had two potentially important mutations. The CDC expects to announce further results later this year.
