Animals

Experts are concerned the United States is too limited in its testing of the spread of bird flu among cattle.

Wed, 2024-05-15 09:50 — mike kraft

How fast is bird flu spreading in US cows? ‘We have no idea’

Avian flu is spreading rapidly among cattle, but public health and infectious disease experts are concerned the United States is too limited in its testing, leaving an incomplete picture of the virus’s spread.

The threat to the general public is currently low, health officials say, and the country’s milk supply is safe. Just one person has been infected. ...

But the outbreak is widespread; officials have found the virus in 42 herds across nine states. Dairy farm workers are at risk every time they are exposed to potentially infected cattle, and viral mutations could cause an outbreak, experts warn.

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Bird flu: Five things to know about bird flu

Mon, 2024-05-13 10:05 — mike kraft

Five things to know about bird flu

There have been major outbreaks around the world in the recent past, including four from 2014 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So what makes this time different, and at what point should you be concerned?

Here are five things you should know about bird flu.

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CDC launching wastewater dashboard to track bird flu virus spread

Mon, 2024-05-13 09:19 — mike kraft

CDC launching wastewater dashboard to track bird flu virus spread Federal public health officials are turning to wastewater surveillance to help fill in the gaps in efforts to track H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in dairy cows. Megan Molteni STAT

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US government announces new financial incentives for dairy farmers to stem the spread of bird flu in cattle

Fri, 2024-05-10 14:23 — mike kraft

US government announces new financial incentives for farms to stem the spread of bird flu in dairy cattle | CNN The US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture announced on Friday a new plan to pay dairy farmers and farm workers to take steps to prevent the spread of H5N1 bird flu. Brenda Goodman CNN

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Human, Animal and Plant Diseases are being fueled by enviornmental changes--study

Fri, 2024-05-10 11:38 — mike kraft

Several large-scale, human-driven changes to the planet — including climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the spread of invasive species — are making infectious diseases more dangerous to people, animals and plants, according to a new study.

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Dairy farmers resist push for workers to wear protective gear against bird flu virus

Fri, 2024-05-10 10:30 — mike kraft

Farmers resist push for workers to wear protective gear against bird flu virus While the bird flu virus risk to the general public is still very low, the threat is more significant for farm workers in contact with cows. Sarah Owermohle STAT

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended this week that dairy and poultry farms with infected animals supply protective gear to workers in a bid to stave off human transmission of the H5N1 virus. The challenge now is making it happen.

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Cows have human flu receptors, raising stakes on bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle--study

Fri, 2024-05-10 10:12 — mike kraft

Cows have human flu receptors, study shows, raising the stakes on the bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle | CNN Cows have the same kinds of gateways into their cells as humans and birds, a new study shows. The finding suggests that cows could be mixing bowls - hosts that could help H5N1 bird flu learn to spread in humans. Brenda Goodman, Nadia Kounang CNN

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What the Texas farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection

Mon, 2024-05-06 11:16 — mike kraft

What a US farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection | CNN A US farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows. Brenda Goodman CNN

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U.S. Farm states push back on Administration's bird flu response

Mon, 2024-05-06 10:57 — mike kraft

'They need to back off': Farm states push back on Biden’s bird flu response

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at odds with state officials and the dairy industry over its on-the-ground response to the avian flu outbreak spreading among dairy cows, complicating President Joe Biden’s efforts to track and contain a virus that has the potential to sicken millions of people.

Many farmers don’t want federal health officials on their property. State agriculture officials worry the federal response is sidelining animal health experts at the Agriculture Department, and also that some potential federal interventions threaten to hinder state and local health officials rushing to respond to the outbreaks.

ALSO SEE: A pandemic response that amounts to hoping and praying isn’t nearly enough.

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