Category: Flu Virus

MADISON, WI - JUNE 06: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wildlife Pathologist Carol Meteyer inspects a ... [+] dead adult female Bald Eagle June 6, 2006 in Madison, Wisconsin. Along with searching for cause of death, the USGS also test for avian flu as a routine step in examination. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin is one of the top testing facilities for the avian flu virus in the U.S. (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

The highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus has infected nearly 140 dairy herds across 12 states in America, resulting in four reported human cases this year, according to the CDC. The FDA recently announced efforts to increase testing of more dairy products in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus across dairy farms, according to reports from Reuters. The testing would sample 155 dairy products to ensure pasteurization inactivates the virus.

In addition, the state of Michigan will also start serological testing on farm workers for signs of prior infection of the virus.

Bolstering testing strategies is critical from a public health perspective for several reasons. Increased testing allows public health officials to detect and contain outbreaks early. The bird flu has killed millions of birds globally and is responsible for infecting millions of other animals as well. Early detection can prompt appropriate interventions such as imposing quarantine zones and restricting movement of birds and milk products to prevent the spread of the infection to new areas. These interventions are only possible by comprehensive and thorough testing of the bird flu virus.

In addition, testing ultimately will help prevent transmission of the virus among different populations, including humans. While the current public health risk to humans remains low, the virus could eventually mutate and cause sustained human to human spread, which could then potentially lead to a pandemic. Testing allows different bird flu strains to be identified and monitored. By understanding the genetic composition of potentially deadly strains, public health practitioners can implement appropriate strategies to protect high-risk individuals, as well as develop vaccines that would be pivotal in decreasing the transmission of the virus.

Robust testing allows for more clear and transparent messaging to the general public. Testing ensures the adequate tracking of the evolution of the virus as well as studying the characteristics of new and problematic strains that could potentially spread among humans. This information is vital in developing policy decisions that help mitigate the spread of the virus. In addition, the more information that is gathered from testing, the clearer messaging can be from health officials to educate the public on best practice policies to curb the spread of the virus. Without adequate testing, health authorities and media personnel would have scant information to deliver to the general public with respect to prevention strategies.

Finally, testing can prevent substantial economic loss when considering the poultry and dairy industries represent a significant part of the global economy. Bird flu outbreaks can lead to substantial economic loss if culling of infected flocks occurs as well as implementation of trade restrictions. This is precisely why some farmers may be hesitant to get tested themselves for bird flu out of fear of losing revenue. However, testing can actually reduce economic loss in the long-run through early intervention that can subsequently reduce the duration of outbreaks. Shorter scale of outbreaks also means a stable supply of poultry and dairy products which would prevent increases in prices from potential shortages.

Testing for the bird flu remains pivotal in both managing and mitigating the risks for humans. Although the FDA and the state of Michigan have taken positive strides in increasing testing, much more testing will be needed to fully understand the genetics, transmission and evolution of the bird flu virus. Testing represents the cornerstone of public health initiatives to curb disease and can be the difference between whether or not a future pandemic occurs.

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Why Increased Testing Is Critical For The Bird Flu - Forbes

FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2015, file photo, cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa. Some farmers are wondering if it's OK that eggs sold as free-range come from chickens being kept inside. It's a question that arises lately as farmers try to be open about their product while also protecting chickens from a highly infectious bird flu that has killed roughly 28 million poultry across the country. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

DENVER (KDVR) Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency on July 5 after an outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu was reported at a facility in Weld County.

The declaration is for a commercial poultry facility and is intended to ensure the state government can provide resources and support for Colorados agriculture industry. The size of the facility, when the outbreak began and how the state will assist in this effort is unclear. FOX31 has reached out to state officials for more information.

Polis verbal declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan, directing the Office of Emergency Management to take all necessary and appropriate State actions to assist with response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. The state said that specifically, this will help provide Weld County avian producers the necessary resources to respond to and contain the outbreak of avian flu.

The state has been focusing on avian flu in dairy cattle, asking livestock exhibitors to take extra steps to keep themselves and their animals safe during county fair season. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was first positively identified in Colorado dairy cattle on April 25, and has led to 10 facilities being placed on quarantine.

The bird-borne virus can be transmitted to cattle and humans but has also been found in other mammals. According to the World Health Organization, symptoms of the virus are primarily respiratory, but the most recent human case involved conjunctivitis (pink eye).

The Weld County disaster declaration also comes only five days after the state announced the first human case of bird flu for the year. That worker was employed at a dairy farm in northeast Colorado with direct exposure to dairy cattle infected with avian flu.

Northeast Colorado is also where the first case of highly pathogenicavian influenza was detected on April 25.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment recommend that to prevent getting sick with H5N1, individuals should:

According to the CDC, around 40 birds were found to have H5N1 at a Morgan County facility on June 27. Another facility in Larimer County was found to have 10 affected birds on June 26. Before that, the most recent detection of H5N1 in flocks was found on Feb. 8 in Delta County.

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Disaster declaration issued for Weld County avian flu outbreak - FOX 31 Denver

A cow resting in her stall. In the foreground is a colorized transmission electron micrograph of H5N1 virus particles (yellow). In 2024, H5N1 bird flu has been causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows. Cow photo by NIAID; micrograph, which has been repositioned and recolored by NIAID, is courtesy CDC. Credit: NIAID and CDC

Research on H5N1 influenza in U.S. dairy cattle shows the virus can cause severe disease in mice and ferrets but lacks efficient transmission through respiratory droplets. This finding suggests a limited potential for these bovine-derived viruses to cause widespread disease among mammals.

A series of experiments with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses circulating in infected U.S. dairy cattle found that viruses derived from lactating dairy cattle induced severe disease in mice and ferrets when administered via intranasal inoculation. The virus from the H5N1-infected cows bound to both avian (bird) and human-type cellular receptors, but, importantly, did not transmit efficiently among ferrets exposed via respiratory droplets.

The findings, published on July 8 in the journal Nature, suggest that bovine (cow) HPAI H5N1 viruses may differ from previous HPAI H5N1 viruses and that these viruses may possess features that could facilitate infection and transmission among mammals. However, they currently do not appear capable of efficient respiratory transmission between animals or people.

In March 2024, an outbreak of HPAI H5N1 was reported among U.S. dairy cattle which spread across herds and led to fatal infections among some cats on affected farms, spillover into poultry, and four reported infections among dairy workers. The HPAI H5N1 viruses isolated from affected cattle are closely related to H5N1 viruses that have circulated in North American wild birds since late 2021. Over time, those avian viruses have undergone genetic changes and have spread throughout the continent causing outbreaks in wild birds and mammalssometimes with mortality rates and suspected transmission within species.

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow/red), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells. Microscopy by CDC; repositioned and recolored by NIAID. Credit: CDC and NIAID

To better understand the characteristics of the bovine H5N1 viruses, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Japans Shizuoka and Tokyo Universities, and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory conducted experiments to determine the ability of bovine HPAI H5N1 to replicate and cause disease in mice and ferrets, which are routinely used for influenza A virus studies. Ferrets are thought to be a good model for understanding potential influenza transmission patterns in people because they exhibit similar clinical symptoms, immune responses and develop respiratory tract infections like humans.

The researchers intranasally administered to mice doses of bovine HPAI H5N1 influenza of increasing strength (5 mice per dosage group), and then monitored the animals for body weight changes and survival for 15 days. All the mice that received the higher doses died of infection. Some of the mice that received lower doses survived, and those that received the lowest dose experienced no body weight loss and survived.

The researchers also compared the effects of the bovine HPAI H5N1 virus to a Vietnamese H5N1 strain that is typical of H5N1 avian influenza virus in humans and to an H1N1 influenza virus, both delivered intranasally to mice. The mice that received either the bovine HPAI H5N1 virus or the Vietnamese avian H5N1 virus experienced high virus levels in respiratory and non-respiratory organs, including in the mammary glands and muscle tissues, and sporadic detection in the eyes. The H1N1 virus was found only in the respiratory tissues of the animals.

Ferrets intranasally infected with the bovine HPAI H5N1 virus experienced elevated temperatures and loss of body weight. As with the mice, the scientists discovered high virus levels in the ferrets upper and lower respiratory tracts and other organs. Unlike the mice, however, no virus was found in the ferrets blood or muscle tissues.

Together, our pathogenicity studies in mice and ferrets revealed that HPAI H5N1 derived from lactating dairy cattle may induce severe disease after oral ingestion or respiratory infection, and infection by either the oral or respiratory route can lead to systemic spread of virus to non-respiratory tissues including the eye, mammary gland, teat and/or muscle, the authors write.

To test whether bovine H5N1 viruses transmit among mammals via respiratory droplets, such as emitted by coughs and sneezes, the researchers infected groups of ferrets (four animals per group) with either bovine HPAI H5N1 virus or H1N1 influenza, which is known to transmit efficiently via respiratory droplets. One day later, uninfected ferrets were housed in cages next to the infected animals. Ferrets infected with either of the influenza viruses showed clinical signs of disease and high virus levels in nasal swabs collected over multiple days. However, only ferrets exposed to the H1N1-infected group showed signs of clinical disease, indicating that the cow influenza virus does not transmit efficiently via respiratory droplets in ferrets.

Typically, avian and human influenza A viruses do not attach to the same receptors on cell surfaces to initiate infection. The researchers found, however, that the bovine HPAI H5N1 viruses can bind to both, raising the possibility that the virus may have the ability to bind to cells in the upper respiratory tract of humans.

Collectively, our study demonstrates that bovine H5N1 viruses may differ from previously circulating HPAI H5N1 viruses by possessing dual human/avian-type receptor-binding specificity with limited respiratory droplet transmission in ferrets, the authors said.

Reference: Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus by Amie J. Eisfeld, Asim Biswas, Lizheng Guan, Chunyang Gu, Tadashi Maemura, Sanja Trifkovic, Tong Wang, Lavanya Babujee, Randall Dahn, Peter J. Halfmann, Tera Barnhardt, Gabriele Neumann, Yasuo Suzuki, Alexis Thompson, Amy K. Swinford, Kiril M. Dimitrov, Keith Poulsen and Yoshihiro Kawaoka, 8 July 2024, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07766-6

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the work of the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

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Cow Flu Crisis? Decoding the Dangerous Jump of H5N1 to Humans - SciTechDaily

A dairy worker in Colorado has been infected with bird flu, marking the fourth human case in an ongoing outbreak that started with detection of the disease in cattle this spring.

Colorado health officials said the man experienced mild symptoms, reporting only eye inflammation, a condition known as conjunctivitis.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a statement that the man was given antiviral medication and recovered. He works at a dairy farm in northeastern Colorado and had direct exposure to dairy cattle infected with H5N1, a virus that causes bird flu.

Colorado health officials said they provided personal protective equipment to the facility where the man worked.

We are still gathering additional information about the workers exposures and PPE use, state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said in a statement.

No household contacts of the farmworker have developed symptoms and there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, Herlihy said. State and local health officials are conducting follow-up investigations and will do additional testing if needed, Herlihy said.

Two other dairy workers infected earlier in Texas in April and in Michigan in May also reported eye inflammation. A second Michigan worker infected in late May reported having a cough and eye discomfort with watery discharge. That worker was the first to report more extensive respiratory and eye symptoms.

Colorado health officials said the worker developed symptoms in late June, reported his symptoms one day later and was tested two days after symptoms began. Those initial tests were inconclusive. Additional testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of bird flu.

In 2022, a poultry worker in Colorado tested positive for the same strain of avian influenza. Across the world, cases of human illness have ranged from mild infections to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Federal health and agriculture officials have repeatedly underscored the importance of dairy farm owners ensuring that workers take precautions such as wearing personal protective equipment when working with infected cattle. Federal and state officials have made supplies available to dairy farms but have not required their use.

Dairy farm workers typically express milk by hand from cow teats before attaching milking equipment. A splash of contaminated milk could get into the eye directly, or the virus could enter when workers touch their eyes with a contaminated hand. Eye infections have been associated with previous human infections of bird flu.

Many public health experts have said insufficient testing of cattle is hampering the ability to understand and control the outbreak, which was officially detected in March but may have been in cows since December.

A recent Agriculture Department study of H5N1 in 15 dairy herds and eight poultry flocks in Michigan found three risk factors for local spread, including contaminated equipment or machinery, people who carry the virus on their clothing or boots, and the animals themselves.

Federal health officials said this week their assessment of risk has not changed. The threat to the public remains low, and although dairy workers and others in contact with infected animals are at higher risk, U.S. officials are not recommending vaccination for any groups of people.

Earlier this week, federal officials announced plans to expand vaccine and testing capacity in case the ongoing bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle causes an increase in human cases, if the virus changes to become more easily spread or causes more severe disease, or if cases occur with no connection to an infected herd or person.

The U.S. government has stockpiled 4.8 million doses of bird flu vaccine, and those shots are expected to be available starting in mid-July. The U.S. government has also awarded $176 million to Moderna to complete development and testing of an mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1.

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4th human bird flu case reported in U.S. as Colorado farmworker is infected - The Washington Post

According to the most recent update from the CDC and USDA, bird flu has now impacted more than 115 herds of dairy cows in 12 states.

Those infected included 20 million different species in the U.S., 12 states and 118 dairy cow herds. Right now, it feels like bird flu is everywhere, and it might be worse than you think.

"We know that thats likely an undercount. Theres probably other states and other herds just as we talk about the bovine species being infected," said NYC Hospital System infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Syra Mada.

What makes the spread of the H5N1 virus unique here in the U.S. is the way it's infecting dairy cattle. Dr. Madad says that usually doesn't happen. "And whats also so concerning is that dairy cattle brings it also closer to humans," she said. That's because people are in constant interaction with dairy cattle in the States because of U.S. food production.

Now the USDA has put restrictions on cattle movements. But Dr. Madad says we also need to be doing more testing across the country because we still don't know how exactly the virus is being transferred. She also says there needs to be more federal support to urge people to get themselves and their animals tested and offer support if they're positive.

At this point, three people have contracted bird flu in the United States. None have been here in New York. But public health officials in New York are working to prevent the potential for this happening. "There have been humans that have been potentially exposed, whether its backyard poultry or its captive birds and the like. but luckily there hasnt been any confirmed human cases, and we hope to keep it that way. New York is certainly working with various public health authorities to ensure that we have a good infrastructure in place across the nation," said Dr. Madad.

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Bird flu hits 118 dairy herds in 12 states, raising concerns of wider human risk - WRGB

As authorities work to restrict the spread of the deadly H7 strain of bird flu affecting chickens and eggs across Australia, ecologists and advocates warn a different strain of the virus could lead to an environmental disaster in some wild birds.

The H5N1 avian influenza has caused mass mortality events in wildlife on every other continent on Earth, particularly among birds and animals that eat infected birds.

As the yearly migration of birds to Australia in spring approaches, experts say more communication and planning is needed, with unique species most at risk.

Federation University ecologist Meagan Dewar has tracked the spread of H5N1 throughout Antarctica since February and witnessed mass casualties among many species including Adlie penguins and southern elephant seals.

"Unfortunately our wildlife is integrated and interconnected so [remote ecosystems] aren't as safe as we think," she said.

But Dr Dewar said it would be migrating birds from Asia that would "most likely" bring H5N1 to Australia in spring.

"The virus is coming closer, and it is on our doorstep," she said.

More than 650,000 seabirds are known to have died from H5N1 in South America since 2022, Dr Dewar said.

Animals that prey on dead infected birds also contract the virus. It killed 95 per cent of southern elephant seal pups in Argentina in 2023.

It has killed more than 30,000 South American sea lions. Australia's population is only 12,000.

Dr Dewar said Australia's unique ecosystems with small animal populations were most at risk of collateral damage.

"If it gets into our highly endangered or critically endangered bird species that could have very severe consequences for them and their survival," she said.

"We can get alterations in our ecosystems because we are losing large proportions of animals and birds."

Dr Dewar said her greatest concern was animals like threatened sea lions or vulnerable little penguin colonies with "small population numbers that really can't afford to be hit by a large-scale virus".

On the NSW south coast, Barunguba Montague Island (Barunguba) is culturally significant for the Yuin people and an ecological epicentre for almost 100 bird species.

It is the northernmost breeding colony for Australian fur seals, long nose fur seals and sea lions and is home to NSW's largest little penguin colony during breeding season.

According to a study published in the journalGenome Biology, the H5N1 virus could make the black swan, a culturally significant species to the Yuin people, locally extinct.

However, Dr Dewar said species such as seals, sea lions, seabirds and little penguins could also be at threat if susceptible to the virus.

Narooma-based seal-diving and tourism operator Francois Van Zyl said the effects of the virus on the island would be horrific.

"The seals play a big part in our small-town community," Mr Van Zyl said.

"Yes it will have catastrophic financial issues on small coastal towns, however I think the larger concern is: 'What's going to happen to the wildlife?'"

While there are reports of mammal-to-mammal transmission in North American cattle and South American sea mammals, virus ecologist Michelle Wille said those were two context-specific cases and those strains were unlikely to threaten Australia.

This is still very much an avian virus, she said.

But like any virus, Dr Wille said managing the spread would reduce the risk of mammal-to-mammal variations occurring because there would be less chance of mutations developing.

Its important we focus on whats happening in birds because thats where everything jumps out of, she said.

The more dead birds there are in the landscape, the higher the likelihood that some mammal is going to be infected over and over until you get that right combination of the exactly right genetic make up and exactly the right mammal that allows for [mammal to mammal transmission].

In the Netherlands and Belgium, collecting dead birds before predators can feed on them reduced mammal fatalities by 80 per cent.

It is one strategy in Phillip Island Nature Parks' site-specific contingency plan for the virus. However not all similar ecosystems across the country have such a plan.

Invasive Species Council advocacy director Jack Gough wants the federal government to establish a national task force and help develop similar, localised strategies for ecosystems right across Australia.

"Right now, Australia is not prepared in terms of our wildlife if the deadly H5 strain turns up," he said.

"If it turns up here, it will cause damage and that there are opportunities with isolated populations to make sure that we can respond quickly."

Biosecurity PhD candidate at UNSW Hayley Stone said the virus arriving in Australia was inevitable and early detection was critical to managing its spread.

"You want to catch it as quickly as possible," she said.

"It needs to be on a federal level. There needs to be federal policy that everyone can follow.

"America didn't realise they were having an outbreak until it had already hit poultry."

She said there could be more testing under the National Avian Influenza Wild Bird surveillance program, which tests sick wild birds for diseases.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) declined an interview, but in a statement, said the department would coordinate a national approach in the event of a large outbreak.

In April 2024, DAFF and Wildlife Health Australia published guidelines helping wildlife managers to deal with high-risk bird flu virus, such as the H5N1 strain.

It includes prevention measures, and tips for creating a site-specific plan, which it says is the responsibility of individual jurisdictions.

The guidelines recommend dead birds be reported to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline (1800 675 888).

"There is no way to prevent new strains of avian influenza viruses including this H5 strain entering Australia through migratory birds," a department spokesperson said in a statement.

Mr Gough said part of the solution was improving local awareness that dead birds washing up on a beach in Tasmania or Far North Queensland, for example, was a sign the virus had arrived.

He said the federal government had more to do in bringing people together and creating localised plans to manage the virus.

"That involves tourism operators, local fishers people who are out seeing these environments that they know what bird flu is, that they're checking for it and that if they see any signs of it, they're able to really quickly notify the authorities and get on top of it," he said.

"Bring wildlife carers, zoos, veterinarians, tourism operators, fishers everyone together. Make sure that everyone is aware, knows what to look for if this turns up and that we can respond quickly."

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Experts warn H5N1 bird flu strain 'likely' to arrive in Australia in spring and could put wild birds such as little penguins at risk - ABC News

A fourth dairy worker in the U.S. has tested positive for bird flu following exposure to infected cows, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday (July 3).

The case is the first human illness detected in Colorado in connection with an ongoing outbreak in cattle. It follows one human case in Texas and two in Michigan. The second case in Michigan caused mild respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, but the other three cases including the most recent in Colorado have only included eye symptoms, such as redness.

The culprit behind these infections is a bird flu virus called influenza A(H5N1). This subtype of flu was first spotted among U.S. dairy cows in March. Since then, dozens of herds across the country have tested positive for the virus.

Recent research suggests that, when it infects cows, the virus can end up in the animals' milk and remain infectious in unpasteurized milk for at least an hour after harvest. This poses a significant risk to dairy workers, who may come into contact with contaminated milk through contact with cows or with milking equipment. The pasteurized milk supply, on the other hand, is safe because the pasteurization process inactivates any viruses in the milk.

Related: 'Playing Russian roulette with your health': Officials warn that social media trend of consuming raw milk will not protect you from bird flu

Because of the risk posed by raw milk, the CDC recommends that dairy workers wear personal protective equipment.

In the recent Colorado case, the individual was being monitored because they'd been exposed to H5N1-infected cattle at work. Clinical samples from the person were sent to the CDC, who confirmed an infection with an influenza A(H5) virus. The agency is continuing to analyze the sample to confirm that the virus is in fact H5N1.

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The infected person was treated with a common drug for seasonal flu, called oseltamivir; Tamiflu is a well-known, brand-name version of the drug. The person recovered following this treatment.

All three people previously infected in the outbreak also recovered from their mild infections. In the past, though, H5N1 has been known to sometimes kill people.

Overall, the Colorado case doesn't change the CDC's overall assessment of the unfolding outbreak.

"CDC has been watching influenza surveillance systems closely, particularly in affected states, and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people," the agency reported. "Based on the information available at this time, this infection does not change CDC's current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the agency considers to be low."

Nonetheless, the CDC will continue to monitor for unusual flu activity. There's a possibility that, in time, H5N1 could pick up mutations that enable the virus to spread easily from person to person something it hasn't yet been able to do. Such a change in the virus' genetics would be concerning because the pathogen could then potentially spark a widespread outbreak, or even a pandemic.

Ever wonder why some people build muscle more easily than others or why freckles come out in the sun? Send us your questions about how the human body works to community@livescience.com with the subject line "Health Desk Q," and you may see your question answered on the website!

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4th person catches bird flu from cows, this time in Colorado - Livescience.com

July 3, 2024 A human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI) A(H5) (H5 bird flu) virus infection in the United States has been identified in the state of Colorado. This is the fourth case associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) in dairy cows and the first in Colorado. Previous cases were reported in Texas(1) and Michigan(2). As with previous cases, the person is a worker on a dairy farm where cows tested positive for A(H5N1) virus. The person reported eye symptoms only, received oseltamivir treatment, and has recovered. CDC has been watching influenza surveillance systemsclosely, particularly in affected states, and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including in syndromic surveillance.

Based on the information available at this time, this infection does not change CDCs current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the agency considers to be low. However, this development underscores the importance ofrecommended precautionsin people with exposure to infected animals. People with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection.

Case Background

A dairy worker who was being monitored because of their work exposure to H5N1 virus-infected cattle reported symptoms to state health officials. Testing results were inconclusive at the state. Specimens forwarded to CDC for additional testing were positive for influenza A(H5). The state was then notified of the results. The designation of the influenza virus neuraminidase (the N in the subtype) is pending genetic sequencing at CDC. Attempts to sequence the virus in the clinical specimen are underway and will be made available within 1-2 days if successful. Additional genetic analysis will look for any changes to the virus that could alter the agencys risk assessment.

CDC Activities

This case was detected through the states implementation of CDCs recommended monitoring and testing strategies in exposed persons. In addition to enhanced and targeted surveillance, CDC also has:

CDC Recommendations

More information about A(H5N1) is available on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm.

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CDC Reports Fourth Human Case of H5 Bird Flu Tied to Dairy Cow Outbreak | CDC Online Newsroom - CDC

Over one-half of Americans are not sure if pasteurised milk is safer than raw milk. In the time of avian flu epidemics in US cattle, this could even prove dangerous.

As the fourth human case of H5N1 avian flu in a US farmworker in Colorado was confirmed Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so far, only farm workers, and not consumers, have reported avian flu infections.

This is likely due, at least in part, to the successful inactivation of the virus during the milk pasteurization process, experts say. And yet one-half or more Americans seem to have little idea about the dangers of drinking raw milk, according to a recent poll conducted by the University of Pennsylvania researchers.

The survey, which included a demographically representative sample of the US adult population, found that less than half (47% percent) of the U.S. adults surveyed understood that drinking raw milk not as safe as drinking pasteurized milk. Conversely, 53% of respondents dont actually believe that pasteurized milk is safer. And 9% of respondents actually believed raw milk is safer, while 15% said it was just as safe and 30% were unsure.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of Americans either do not believe that pasteurization is effective at killing bacteria and viruses in milk products (4%) or are not sure whether this is true (20%), according to the survey of over 1000 US adults, conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). The survey has a 3-3.5% statistical error rate.

That, despite the fact that studies report that pasteurized milk limits hospitalizations for related illnesses by an order of 45, according to the APPC report.

The French Scientist Louis Pasteur invented the pasteurization process 160 years ago, after recognizing that it killed off otherwise dangerous bacteria present in unheated wine. The process, which soon became a milk industry standard in the United States, successfully inactivates the modern-day avian flu virus, significantly limiting the risk of infection for the general public.

In fact, only about 2% of Americans report drinking raw milk at least once a month, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study based on 2019 data.

Paradoxically, however, raw milk sales in the US have increased in recent months, according to some US media reports, despite the recent risks posed by a widening circle of avian influenza among dairy cattle.

Debate has been spurred by the increased anti-science bent of some US political leaders.Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for instance, who also has been a staunch opponent of COVID vaccination, has been quoted saying that he drinks raw milk exclusively.

The APPC survey also found that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that drinking raw milk is as safe as pasteurized milk (57% vs. 37%). People living in an urban environment also are more likely to believe that pastuerized milk is safer than raw milk as compared to people in a rural environment (49% vs. 32%).

The difference in views of raw milk that we see between Democrats and Republicans is difficult to disentangle from the difference between rural and urban dwellers, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Those in rural areas are both more likely to identify as Republicans and to consume raw milk.

Some 55 more cattle herds in seven states have been infected with the virus over the past 30 days, according to CDC tracking. Infections in the past 30 days represent 40% of the total of 138 cattle herds infected in 12 states since the outbreak in dairy cattle was first reported on 25 March, the CDC reported.

The real number of infections of both humans and cattle is very likely underestimated, insofar as farmers have been reluctant to have their staff or herds tested, experts warn.

Even so, the CDC maintained that infection risks for the general public remain low.

Based on the information available at this time, this infection does not change CDCs current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the agency considers to be low, the CDC said in a statement.

Image Credits: Cotonbro studio, APCC, CDC.

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As More US Dairy Herds Infected With Avian Flu, Americans In The Dark On The Risks Of Raw Milk - Health Policy Watch

By Julie Steenhuysen and Leah Douglas

July 2 (Reuters)-The U.S. government has awarded $176 million to ModernaMRNA.Oto advance development of its bird flu vaccine, the company said on Tuesday, as concerns rise over a multi-state outbreak of H5N1 virus in dairy cows and infections of three dairy workers since March.

Funds from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used to complete late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza.

U.S. officials said on a press call that late-stage testing would begin in 2025, pending results expected in the coming weeks of Moderna's phase 1 trial. The late-stage trial would likely focus on safety and immune response.

The contract includes options to accelerate the development timeline if needed, based on an increase in human cases, the severity of cases or human-to-human transmission of the virus.

It is too early to tell how many doses Moderna will be able to manufacture, said Robert Johnson, director of the medical countermeasures program at HHS, on the call.

In March, U.S. officials reported the first outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle, which has since infected more than 130 herds in 12 states.

Scientists are concerned that exposure to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk that the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily among people,touching off a pandemic.

The risk to the general public from bird flu remains low, and vaccination is not currently recommended for any segment of the population, Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said on a call with reporters.

However, robust discussions are occurring within government agencies about whether vaccinating farm workers would be helpful, said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that no final decisions have been made.

The government expects to have more announcements on H5N1 vaccines in the near future, OConnell said. In a previous briefing, OConnell said her agency was also negotiating with PfizerPFE.Nfor an mRNA vaccine against H5N1.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use messenger RNA, the technology used in their COVID-19 vaccines.

mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development and production, scalability, and reliability in addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Manufacturing of conventional flu vaccines using cell or egg-based technology can take four to six months.

U.S. officials previously announced they were moving bulk vaccine from CSL SeqirusCSL.AXthat closely matches the current virus into finished shots that could provide 4.8 million doses if needed.

Some of those doses could be available as early as this month, O'Connell said. Those shots could potentially be used toinoculate farm workers and others at risk of exposureto the virus.

Lab experiments from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continue to confirm that pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus in dairy products, said Don Prater, director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

The FDA isconducting ongoing testsof retail dairy products for traces of avian flu and has cautioned against consuming raw milk.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Leah Douglas in Washington; Additional reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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Bird flu concern prompts U.S. to award Moderna $176 million for vaccine development - Successful Farming