 of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in dairy cattle last month, state officials in 3 Midwestern states have now reported new outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry on commercial farms. The cases were detected in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and are not the first for any of these states. For Iowa, the latest finding marks the state’s eighth outbreak in domestic birds this year, whereas Minnesota has reported 8 poultry outbreaks since mid-September alone.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) detected its latest H5N1 case on October 2. According to IDALS, state officials and the USDA found the virus in a commercial turkey flock in the west-central region of Iowa, in Calhoun County. Before that, Iowa’s last poultry outbreak occurred in April.

Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs

Lethargy and/or lack of energy and appetite

Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks

Purple/blue discoloration of the wattles, comb, and legs

Coughing, sneezing, and/or nasal discharge

Meanwhile, Minnesota reported 2 outbreaks of the virus on September 28 at commercial breeder poultry operations in Becker and Otter Tail Counties,

which are located in Minnesota’s west-central region and border each other. Together, the 2 farms house more than 36,000 birds, according to the University of Minnesota.

“Minnesota has now recorded 8 outbreaks in poultry since the middle of September, part of a national rise in activity,” the University of Minnesota wrote in a news brief.

Wisconsin followed, with another confirmation on October 1 of H5N1 in a commercial flock in Jefferson County, located between Madison and Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) reported the case on October 2, urging all livestock owners to implement strong biosecurity measures to prevent the disease from infecting their flocks and herds.

Wisconsin’s latest detection marks the state’s second outbreak in Jefferson County since September 24, with the September 24 outbreak affecting more than 3 million commercial poultry.

 According to the DATCP, 520,298 poultry reside on the commercial farm most recently affected by the virus.

“The affected premises [have] been quarantined to restrict movement of poultry and poultry products. Birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system,” the DATCP wrote in a news release announcing the latest bird flu detection.

The state government agency said it is working with USDA animal health officials on a joint incident response.

Last month, Nebraska reported its first case of H5N1 in a dairy cattle herd. Officials detected the virus through state tracing and investigation after it was found in collected milk samples.

“DATCP continues to urge all livestock owners to implement strong biosecurity measures to protect their flocks and herds from the disease. This includes washing hands, disinfecting equipment, restricting access to animals, and separating new additions to the flock or herd for at least 30 days. Poultry owners are asked, when possible, to keep their birds indoors,” Wisconsin’s DATCP said.

Earlier this fall, the USDA echoed DATCP’s message, advising dairy farms to adopt stronger biosecurity measures. "APHIS recommends enhanced biosecurity measures for all dairy farms, particularly as we enter fall migratory bird season,” the federal agency said.

 “Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs or any unusual sick or dead wildlife to their state veterinarian.”

Schnirring L. H5N1 outbreaks hit more commercial poultry in 3 states. University of Minnesota. October 3, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/h5n1-outbreaks-hit-more-commercial-poultry-3-states

Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in a commercial turkey flock in Calhoun County. Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. News release. October 2, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

https://iowaagriculture.gov/news/HPAI-calhoun-county-Oct-2-2025

Highly pathogenic avian influenza response. Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza confirmed in Jefferson County. News release. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. October 2, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Highly-Pathogenic-Avian-Influenza-Confirmed-in-Jefferson-County04.aspx

Bautista-Alejandre A. USDA confirms first case of bird flu in Nebraska dairy cattle. 

. September 16, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/usda-confirms-first-case-of-bird-flu-in-nebraska-dairy-cattle

USDA confirms highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy herd in Nebraska. News release. US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. September 15, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-dairy-herd-nebraska

Articles

One Wisconsin farm affected by H5N1 houses more than half a million birds, according to the state government agency.

New bird flu outbreaks reported in poultry across 3 Midwestern states

Happy Monday, dvm360 readers! We are officially 2 months away from our final Fetch conference of 2025, Fetch Long Beach! Join us in the Golden State from December 5-6, 2025, for 2 days jam-packed with educational lectures from top industry leaders, exhibitors from all over the industry, keynote lectures delivered by Erik Zager, DVM, DACVECC, and Pamela D. Jones, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Oncology), and networking opportunities with fellow attendees. Close out 2025 with us in Long Beach and register 

Check out what you can see this week on dvm360.com:

The H5N1 outbreak has again hit commercial poultry in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and APHIS stating this is Iowa’s 8th outbreak in domestic birds this year with the next most recent being in April.

 drops this week on dvm360.com! In this latest episode, host Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, welcomed special guest Pedro Diniz, DVM, PhD, to talk more about what the rise of artificial intelligence means for veterinary education, for both students and professors.

During the American Association of Veterinary State Boards' annual meeting, member boards approved multiple positions, including opposing the veterinary professionals' associate or midlevel practitioner position.

 podcast presented by dvm360, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, discussed diagnosing, treating, and managing atopy in this special live podcast recording from Fetch Kansas City.

The most recent installment of dvm360’s business roundup will be available at the end of this week and will feature VetEvolve’s newly appointed CEO and chief development officer, as well as The American Kennel Club’s new vice president of education.

Here is a sneak peek at this week’s headlines.

Sneak peek: H5N1 outbreak detected 3 new states, and other news 

April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, discusses emergencies of the heart including tachycardia, in a dvm360 interview.

Managing rapid change in cardiac care

What is the process for managing a patient with an emergency cardiac condition? In a 

 interview, April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, an associate clinical professor at the Iowa State University Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center in Ames and the medical director at Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines, discusses considerations for veterinarians handling these cases. 

Blong presented continuing education (CE) sessions on emergency and critical care at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, where her interview was recorded. These CE sessions provided insights into abdominal and thoracic injuries in blunt force trauma cases, as well as the identification and stabilization of possible traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. In this video, she addresses rapid change with cardiac conditions, including tachycardia.

The following is a transcript of the video:

 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Unfortunately, with medicine, it's really hard to cookie-cutter things. You have to think about 

patient. What am I worried could happen with this patient and monitor accordingly? And that involves what parameters you're monitoring. Are they on [electrocardiogram]? Are they on blood pressure watches? Are they on [packed cell volume] watches, in addition to intervening timely? If I don't want to get called at night, I can set my call parameters such that no one's ever going to call me. I might walk into a disaster in the morning, because my patient's not going to be doing well. So it's a combination of what am I watching for? When should I at least evaluate further? Maybe I don't intervene, but at least look closer.

Tachycardia is probably one of our most common problems that we see in hospitalized patients, and it's like anything else. The tachycardia, while that's what we're recognizing as a problem, is really a symptom of what's going on. And so we have to think about what are the possible things that can be driving that tachycardia if we want to address it appropriately.

Common causes of blunt force trauma in pets

You can also learn more and register for the 2026 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City

Videos

Considerations for an emergency cardiac case

The new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine (SSVM) celebrated its opening with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 3, 2025, at Rowan University’s West Campus in Harrison Township, New Jersey. Guests were then invited to tour the new academic facility and teaching hospital.

At the podium during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, Ali Houshmand, PhD, president of Rowan University, thanks $30 million donors Melanie and Gerald Shreiber (at left) while sharing the stage with Matthew Edson, DVM, MBA, CVPM, MRCVS, the school's founding dean. 

Ali Houshmand, PhD, president of Rowan University, as well as a pet owner, told a crowd of university leaders, state and local legislators, faculty, staff, students, and other guests, that creating the veterinary school was something that was needed in New Jersey. “The horse industry alone in New Jersey is a billion-dollar business, not to mention food animals and pet animals. And everybody loves a pet,” Houshmand said.

The school is the first in the Garden State to offer a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree program. The veterinary school’s opening also makes Rowan only the second public university in the US to offer DVM, doctor of osteopathic medicine, and doctor of medicine degrees. The university’s overall growth and successes in recent years were recognized by speakers, with animal health care noted as a significant addition to the state and region.

Planning for the veterinary school began in February 2020 and built momentum despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tony Lowman, PhD, chancellor at Rowan University.

 Rowan then celebrated the 50% completion of the building with a 

The inaugural class of 75 SSVM students began their Rowan veterinary education in September 2025. More than half the first class call New Jersey home, with the remaining students hailing from 15 other states, including Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas, Wisconsin, and Washington. Rowan plans to eventually enroll annual classes of 90 students.

A surgical room allows students to view procedures from an observation deck. The clouded windows become transparent when in use. 

Houshmand told the audience that Rowan serves the country and “cares very much” about what they do to advance the interests of New Jersey and the nation. “We want to keep it affordable. We want to keep it safe for every single one of your children, irrespective of their politics, their religion, their beliefs, whatever it is. We want them to come in here and feel welcome and feel loved and get a great education and go and be a great citizen. That's the mission of every university in this country,” Houshmand said.

The campus offers a 70,000-sq-ft academic facility with classrooms and teaching laboratories, and a 47,000-sq-ft teaching hospital that opened on October 6, 2025. The hospital will offer primary and specialty care as well as emergency medicine and features a diagnostics laboratory and an on-site pharmacy.

During tours of the facilities, guides took visitors through many of these spaces as well as comfortable seating areas for students to study, eat lunch, and store belongings. A student guide pointed out innovative details such as charging towers placed throughout a large classroom that allow students to increase the battery lives on their electronic devices from wherever they sit, and a clinical skills classroom with models of large animals that allow learners to practice hands-on techniques before handling live patients. In the hospital, a staff veterinary technician showed exam rooms, an anesthesia administration area, a dentistry suite, and first-floor surgical spaces that are equipped with observation windows, allowing students to view procedures from second-floor observation benches.

A set of equine models sit ready for students to use in a hands-on clinical skills classroom at Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine.

Matthew Edson, DVM, MBA, CVPM, MRCVS, founding dean of the SSVM, noted in his speech that many supporters and donors came together to create the veterinary school. He thanked them as a whole, while recognizing individually the school’s namesake family, who 

 “Gerry and Melanie [Shreiber] are a part of this. They come and they visit. They want to hang out with our students. They want to see the impact that they're having,” Edson said.

The dean also thanked members of SSVM’s first class, and asked those in attendance to stand and be recognized. “We have representation from all across the United States and have international applicants applying to our program…. All these students are brave members of this beta test [for] the first vet school in the state. I hope we're doing OK so far, but it really was a great moment for all of us [who] are a part of this to see them arrive a couple weeks ago. So thank you for being here,” Edson said.

Upon graduation of this first class, SSVM will be eligible for accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE). Most recently in the multistep process for accreditation, Rowan obtained a Letter of Reasonable Assurance in 2024.

 In the US, 30 veterinary colleges are currently accredited by the AVMA COE, with 4 more schools holding provisionary accreditation.

In his ceremonial speech, New Jersey State Assemblyman Louis Greenwald noted the impact the veterinary school will have on the region, which includes increasing jobs and boosting the local economy. “This day means much more than just this class and this building…. This becomes decades and generations of return on investment. This incoming class of 75 students [and subsequent classes]—more than 50% New Jersey born and raised—will not only make a difference in our immediate regional economy, but they will lead efforts around clinical trials and differences that will not only improve the culture of our animal stock and what most of us know as traditional veterinary impact, but...will lead to the overall better health of our human society,” Greenwald said.

The mobile clinic, which features several exam tables and other equipment for practicing veterinary medicine, brings access to care to communities in need.

SSVM has already been working to improve access to veterinary care throughout the rural South Jersey region. Since the fall of 2024, it has operated a 

that provides shelter medicine and community outreach services.

 Edson said veterinarians have been performing spay and neuter procedures, and a large animal unit that cares for patients is in the field with trucks outfitted to serve these medical needs.

Shreiber School ribbon-cutting ceremony. Presented at: Rowan University Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine; October 3, 2025. Harrison Township, NJ.

Coppock K. The new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine breaks ground. 

. April 28, 2023. Accessed October 3, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/the-new-shreiber-school-of-veterinary-medicine-breaks-ground

Littrell A. Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine celebrates 50% completion.

. September 11, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/rowan-universitys-shreiber-school-of-veterinary-medicine-celebrates-50-percent-completion

Rowan University receives $30 million donation for New Jersey’s first veterinary school. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/rowan-university-receives-30-million-donation-for-new-jersey-s-first-veterinary-school

Accredited veterinary colleges. American Veterinary Medical Association. Accessed October 3, 2025.

White K, Crossley KC. Rowan University takes veterinary services on the road. 

. November 18, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/rowan-university-takes-veterinary-services-on-the-road

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the first veterinary school in New Jersey.

Rowan University opens Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine 

Julien Grosmaire, BVetBiol, BVSc, GC-SAUA, and Peter Timms (Image courtesy of the University of the Sunshine Coast)

In a world first, a new single-dose vaccine has been approved in Australia to protect koalas from infection with chlamydia, a disease that can cause painful urinary tract infections, infertility, blindness, and even death.

The vaccine was developed by a collaborative research team led by Peter Timms, a professor of microbiology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and included support from Julien Grosmaire, BVetBiol, BVSc, GC-SAUA, from Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE).

“At EVE, we work on major koala health and population management projects, focusing on areas where chlamydial disease is having a significant impact. Our team is a specialist provider in this field, applying a holistic model, using a range of interventions to tackle population declines, especially in regions where koalas are at risk of local extinction from this disease,” Grosmaire told 

“I'm very proud to be one of the many people and organizations involved in this work. Thanks to our management programs, we have been able to deliver large-scale longitudinal trials on the vaccine's effectiveness and safety. As a veterinarian, I have been involved in some of the trial designs, recruitment and vaccination of animals, health checks, and research sampling, as well as some writing up and interpretation of findings, which has been truly rewarding outside of my usual clinical work.”

In koalas, chlamydia can lead to significant adverse welfare due to painful keratoconjunctivitis that can leave koalas blind, and urinary tract infections causing severe cystitis and urine scalding.

“Severe chlamydial infections can be fatal. Chlamydia can also cause reproductive disease leading to infertility, which, on a population level, can lead to significant declines and even local extinction, particularly when combined with other threats like habitat degradation, climate change, and human-animal interactions,” said Grosmaire.

“The University of the Sunshine Coast is now seeking funding to produce and distribute the vaccine to wildlife hospitals where the vaccine can be administered to healthy koalas being returned to their home where they may be at risk of reinfection. Unfortunately, infection does not confer immunity from subsequent infections. Koalas treated with antibiotics are at risk of reinfection when returned to their home population where chlamydia might be endemic. Hence, the vaccine will hopefully prevent disease [from] developing when individuals are next exposed to the bacteria.”

Grosmaire said that although the vaccine is not a silver bullet for solving the chlamydial disease problem in koala populations, it is another useful tool that could help manage the threat the disease poses to koala welfare and the species' survival.

“I would love to see more support for management programs in severely affected populations. With enough resources, we know we can treat chlamydia out of populations, turn them away from their extinction trajectory, and use the vaccine to safeguard them from the pathogen's reintroduction,” Grosmaire said.

“We are currently analyzing some data on the vaccine's potential therapeutic effects and hope to publish on this trial soon. The University of the Sunshine Coast team hopes to be able to make the vaccine available to veterinarians in all wildlife hospitals by the end of 2026.”

Vetuosity is a subscription-model virtual learning platform for the veterinary profession that was developed to fill the niche of providing short, accessible, affordable, and on-demand professional development content for species-specific and mixed-practice veterinarians.

The Vetuosity platform, cofounded by veterinary practice manager Jason Chuck, BCom, MBA, CPA, and Gemma Chuck, BVetMed, PhD, MAICD, was formally launched earlier this year and is already popular with veterinarians eager to access on-demand video learning.

“Our vision is to empower veterinary teams to master the skills they need in the moment they need them. And we do this by providing practical, relevant, and accessible tools that enable veterinary teams to deliver extraordinary veterinary care,” Jason Chuck said.

“My wife, Gemma, and I are really passionate about the future of the veterinary profession and, with our broad experience in the veterinary profession, it was only natural that we wanted to create a learning platform that allowed veterinary teams to develop extraordinary veterinary skills.”

From the outset, the focus of Vetuosity has been the provision of practical, relevant, and on-demand short educational videos. The platform also offers info sheets, cheat sheets, checklists, and newsletter articles.

“We knew that learning through a virtual environment has increased in popularity over the past decade but the majority of content was long-form, prerecorded, or live webinars with a predominant focus on companion animals and equine. Provision of high-quality content for the production animal sector was very limited,” Jason Chuck explained.

“We also realized that learning styles have changed and that provision of bite-sized media content across all species was limited, and where it does exist it was of variable audio and visual quality. Frequently vets and nurses need to recall procedures under significant time pressure. We saw an opportunity for a virtual learning environment that offers short, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed 3- to 6-minute videos detailing procedures, allowing the user to perform them competently and confidently.”

As the Chucks live and work in rural Queensland, the initial focus of content development for Vetuosity was on cattle and equine to offset the previously limited learning resources available for these topics.

“In production animals, supportive tools and resources were limited and when available, rarely demonstrated the best-practice standard of care. Sole production animal veterinarians are becoming less common, with many rural veterinarians now relying on companion animals in the face of a declining production animal market. This has resulted in less exposure of necessary caseload for new and recent graduates,” Jason Chuck said.

Jason Chuck (left) of Vetuosity and Mick Ruppin, BVSc MANZCVS (Image courtesy of Vetuosity)

“We think it’s vitally important to support [veterinarians] in the field to ensure a high standard of animal care and to provide the support and training necessary to perform procedures. There is also a knowledge gap between graduation and specialization in rural practice. The option for specialist referral is often limited for rural clients, thus if rural [veterinarians] are able to upskill in a wider range of procedures, they can provide clients with a broader range of treatment options. Face-to-face support and training for rural veterinarians can be challenging in terms of accessibility to expertise."

Vetuosity was designed to be of interest to a wide audience including veterinary students, new or recent graduate veterinarians, those veterinarians returning after a career break, or those diversifying into another discipline.

“Vetuosity fills a knowledge gap by providing veterinary professionals with the tools needed to succeed, empowering them to provide a high standard of care for their clients. We know one of the top 3 satisfaction priorities for employed veterinarians is peer support and, aside from better remuneration, the lack of opportunity to develop new skills is the main reason why employed [veterinarians] would consider leaving their role,” Jason Chuck said.

“We hope that Vetuosity will assist in addressing these challenges and support veterinary teams to develop new and different skills. If [veterinarians] feel more empowered and supported in the workplace, then recruitment and retention rates should improve and attrition rates decline. It is the aim for Vetuosity to assist in future-proofing our profession with a capable and sustainable workforce.”

Updates on a new vaccine to help protect koalas from chlamydia, and a virtual learning environment providing on-demand professional development for species-specific and mixed-practice veterinarians.

Veterinary scene Down Under: Australia approves world-first single-dose chlamydia vaccine for koalas, and more news

Applications have opened for the 2026 cohort of the Chewy Veterinary Leaders Program, which is designed to expand leadership opportunities for veterinary students from underserved backgrounds. A collaboration between the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and Chewy Health, the initiative will award 15 students with a $20,000 scholarship, paid directly to their institutions during the fall 2025 semester.

“This program goes beyond scholarships. It’s about building a supportive pathway for the next generation of veterinary leaders,” Mita Malhotra, president of Chewy Health, said in an announcement.

 “Through mentorship, leadership training, and building a strong sense of community, we are proud to provide students with the skills and confidence they need to help shape the future of veterinary medicine.”

In addition to financial aid, the program will provide students with professional development resources, such as monthly conversations facilitated by a third-party mentor and an in-person leadership summit at Chewy’s headquarters in Florida. After graduation, participants will have access to a 6-month mentorship and professional development curriculum, as well as the program’s alumni network.

"Our partnership with Chewy Health for the Chewy Veterinary Leaders Program is helping to shape the future of veterinary medicine by empowering students who bring fresh perspectives, resilience, and a deep commitment to service,” Ted Mashima, DVM, interim CEO at AAVMC, added.

 “When we invest in these emerging leaders, we’re not only opening doors for individuals—we’re transforming the profession to be more inclusive, innovative, and reflective of the communities we serve.”

Fall scholarships for veterinary and veterinary technician students

Kennedi Robinson, a 2025 Chewy Veterinary Leader and veterinary student at Purdue University, said the program provided her with scholarship support and opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and networking with other veterinary students and professionals, according to Chewy and AAVMC. “...at Chewy [headquarters]...I gained invaluable professional development, leadership training, mentorship, and lifelong connections with amazing veterinary students and veterinary professionals,” Robinson said in the news release.

Winners of the 2025 Chewy Veterinary Leaders program, announced in January 2025, came from a variety of universities across the US, including Colorado State University, the University of Tennessee, Mississippi State University, Cornell University in New York, Washington State University, the University of California, Davis, and others.

Students are nominated by their schools or colleges. The submission deadline for this year’s cohort is November 4, 2025. Students seeking more information on the program can visit awards.aavmc.org.

AAVMC and Chewy Health open applications for 2026 Cohort of Chewy Veterinary Leaders Program. News release. American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. October 1, 2025. https://www.aavmc.org/news/aavmc-and-chewy-health-open-applications-for-2026-cohort-of-chewy-veterinary-leaders-program/

AAVMC announces Chewy Veterinary leaders Cohort. 

. January 17, 2025. October 3, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/aavmc-announces-chewy-veterinary-leaders-cohort

The program will award $20,000 in aid to 15 students.