Dairy Digressions S3, E31 | Solving H5N1 in Dairy: A One Health Conversation w/ Jason Lombard, DVM

In this episode of Dairy Digressions, host Matt Lucy welcomes Jason Lombard, DVM, veterinary epidemiologist, associate professor, and dairy systems specialist at Colorado State University, and lead author of the Journal of Dairy Science invited review, The One Health Challenges and Opportunities of the H5N1 Outbreak in Dairy Cattle in the United States. Drawing on his experience as the point person on the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 outbreak and the learnings he gleaned from his expert coauthors on the review, Jason provides an update on the latest science we have on the virus and reviews its immense impact to date on animals, the US food supply, and people working in agriculture. He explains what the One Health concept means in practice, showing how dairy farms function as complex ecosystems where animals, humans, and environments are linked. The conversation also explores why the exact mechanisms of transmission—whether through the movement of cows, people, trucks, milk, or aerosols—remain so difficult to pin down. Beyond the science, Jason reflects on his career path from veterinary private practice to his time with the US Department of Agriculture to Colorado State University, describing how epidemiology feels like solving a crime, and how curiosity and humility in the face of what we still don’t know fuel his work. This episode offers a critical update on the H5N1 outbreak and connects breaking research with the lived realities of the dairy sector. It underscores why a One Health perspective will be essential not only in navigating H5N1 but also in strengthening the dairy and agricultural sectors for outbreaks yet to come. Learn more at adsa.org.