Category: Flu Virus

A form of avian flu that has been devastating to the nation's poultry industry in recent years has now spread to cattle. Although one dairy worker in Texas has been infected, public health officials believe the risk of contagion to humans remains low, but they are on alert nonetheless.

The dairy workers only symptom was eye redness. He was treated and has recovered. But it was the first time this virus had passed from an infected mammal to a human, and the first time it had been found in cattle.

The viral strain in question, H5N1, was first detected in China in 1996. Since 2021, it has killed hundreds of millions of wild and domesticated birds. Fewer than 900 cases of human illness caused by the virus have been documented worldwide, the result of exposure to infected birds. Half of those who became ill did not survive.

Scientists who monitor the transmission of disease from animals to humans have long worried that a mutation of the virus could spark a dangerous pandemic. At present, there are no signs that this has occurred, and also no evidence of human-to-human spread of the virus. The risk to those who work with poultry and cattle is greater, but still low-to-moderate, according to health authorities. The CDC has issued recommendations for minimizing their exposure.

The threat to the population is low right now, says Adriane Casalotti, who heads government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Public health officials are actively working behind the scenes to keep it that way or identify new threats if they emerge.

So far, USDA scientists haven't found that cows are actively shedding virus and exposing other animals. Even if milking is to blame for spread, it doesnt answer the question of how the virus came to be present in the first place.

The fate of the cows is another matter. So far, the USDA hasnt issued orders to quarantine cattle, but it recommends minimizing their movement. Some states are restricting the import of cattle from states with infected herds.

The USDA has required poultry farmers to cull flocks infected with H5N1, leading to the loss of 85 million birds to date. Nothing this severe is being suggested for cows, but there are big concerns about what could happen if the virus in them spreads to poultry and leads to new infections in flocks.

Theres already a safeguard against exposure to the virus in milk. One of the reasons we don't think that this will get to the general population is because milk is pasteurized, Casalotti says. States have a patchwork of guidelines regarding the sale of raw milk, however. Two of the states where infected cows have been found, New Mexico and Idaho, allow the sale of raw milk in retail outlets. Only one, New Jersey forbids its sale under any circumstances.

As the origins of cattle infections and their potential impact on dairy workers are investigated, the CDC has urged health departments to tighten relationships with agricultural agencies and veterinarians. "It is very, very important that state or local agricultural government agencies and workers are being very, very collaborative and keeping the public health side up to date, says Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). That's the big ask here.

Marcus Plescia talks about the importance of collaborative communication between agriculture and public health.

(Gina Ferazzi/TNS)

Most fatalities from this strain of bird flu have occurred in developing countries. Its hard to know what the fatality rate might be in a country with higher levels of medical and supportive care if cases become more common, Plescia says. Only one other person in the U.S. is known to have been affected by bird flu, in 2022. They were exposed to an infected flock, and their only symptom was fatigue.

Even if the current risk is low, its enough to prompt urgent conversations about what ifs within the public health community. Our dependence on industrialized factory farms for our food supply increases the likelihood of such a public health emergency, Lieder says. Bills currently before Congress that would limit states' ability to set standards for such operations, combined with limitations on public authority enacted in the wake of the pandemic, would weaken both protections and regulators' ability to respond.

There needs to be a hard look at the public health systems continuing ability to act when serious threats emerge, says Brian Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, which supports health efforts. Even if more transmission from cattle to humans occurs, tools exist to contain it, but may be effective only if public health departments are adequately staffed with trained workers. The foundation estimates that public health departments need 80,000 more full-time employees just to deliver basic services.

The countrys pandemic response capability is only as strong as the state that is least prepared, Castrucci says. This is an opportune time for every state to make a comprehensive pandemic preparedness plan that incorporates learnings from COVID-19, and for states and the federal government to look for ways to work together against diseases that pose national, not state-level, threats.

We spend a lot of time worried about China and Iran, Castrucci says. We need to be much more concerned about viruses that we havent even named.

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Public Health's Strategy to Protect Against Bird Flu - Governing

Earlier this spring, California dairy farmers noted a puzzling drop in milk production in Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio, Kansas and Michigan. Weeks later, news broke that several herds in these states, as well as North Carolina, had been diagnosed with avian influenza the same strain that has devastated bird populations across the globe and shown a troubling ability to jump to mammals.

In an effort to prevent local herds from infection, officials in California and elsewhere have imposed restrictions on cattle imports from the affected states, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture has urged livestock managers to minimize the movement of cattle as much as possible.

Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the current risk for the general public is low, the development has left dairy farmers reeling. Never before have U.S. dairy cows been infected with H5N1 bird flu viruses.

Nobody saw this coming, said Michael Payne, a researcher and outreach coordinator at the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security at UC Davis.

Scientists and health agencies across the globe have been tracking the spread of the virus for years.

Since 2021, it has killed hundreds of millions of farmed poultry and infected more than 48 species of mammals including humans as well as countless numbers of wild birds. It has also proved especially deadly among some communal mammals, such as elephant seals and sea lions in South America, as well as caged fur-farmed animals in Europe.

Nevertheless, outbreaks among dairy cows have come as a rude shock.

In addition to the cattle infections, a farmworker in Texas who was in close contact with infected dairy cows also became infected, but experienced only mild symptoms. This was the second known human case in the United States.

Despite the mildness of the farmworkers illness, the prospect of continued infections worries some.

The concerning trend of multiple states reporting cattle infections raises the likelihood of continued human exposure, said Suresh Kuchipudi, professor and chair of the University of Pittsburghs department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. This could amplify the risk of further virus adaptation, potentially facilitating human-to-human transmission.

Public health advocates, wildlife biologists and epidemiologists say there are a few reasons for why the cattle outbreaks have surprised farmers and officials.

First, while there have been sporadic infections of cattle via other flu strains in the past, no other avian flu has ever evolved the ability to pass between cows and other ruminants, said Kuchipudi.

That was surprising, he said. Totally unprecedented.

And second: There is no single federal or state agency responsible for following this disease one that affects wildlife, agriculture and public health. Some experts say its a flawed silo-like approach for a virus that concerns multiple government agencies here and in other nations.

This is a fundamental problem in our monitoring system, especially when it comes to emerging and zoonotic infections, such as the avian flu, said Kuchipudi. This is a public health problem, a wildlife problem and also a domestic animal problem, for which a one-health solution in which all three elements are included could really help in terms of managing information collection and communication.

For instance, while its still unclear how the cows got the disease, if farmers had been on the look-out for sick birds or wildlife and been communicating with wildlife agencies and their farm bureaus, the infection might have been contained, experts say.

Californias Department of Food and Agriculture is now asking farmers to be on the lookout for sick birds and mammals, and to take steps to humanely remove migrating birds and waterfowl that could come into contact with their herds, and prevent them from nesting nearby.

There is also a concern that the disease was passed via infected poultry litter a mix of poultry excreta, spilled feed, feathers, and other waste scraped from the floors of industrial chicken and turkey production plants which, in the United States, is used in cattle feed on some farms. UC Davis Payne said that in California, poultry waste is processed at high virus-killing temperatures, so it is unlikely to be a concern.

The practice is banned in the United Kingdom, European Union and Canada, where fears of spreading bovine spongiform encephalitis mad cow disease made such practices seem too risky.

Despite concerns voiced by some experts, California officials say existing bird flu monitoring efforts are effective.

State Veterinarian Annette Jones said that she works fluidly with multiple state and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

We have veterinarians and experts spread throughout the state that can do those initial investigations. And if theres any inkling that there could be a human health issue, then we also work very closely with the California Department of Public Health, who has links to County Public Health and CDC, she said. To the outside person that seems probably like acronym soup, right? But to an inside person with experience, we know.

Jones and others in the dairy and agricultural sector say there is no reason for the public to be alarmed or concerned when it comes to avian flu-infected cattle.

They say infected cows seem to have a mild reaction and get better quickly. Also, milk is pasteurized, so if an infected cows milk were to get into the system, the virus would be killed.

Yet others say its the whats next question that is most worrying.

We want to address what is happening so that we can prevent something worse from happening, said J. Scott Weese, professor at the Ontario Veterinary College and director of the University of Guelphs Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. That something worse is this virus becoming a virus that can be easily transmitted between humans and can cause serious disease.

The disease has already bucked all expectations from its ability to infect a variety of species to its international reach and duration, experts say. That should make its appearance on a mammal-based factory farm a cause for doubled-down surveillance and concern, said Crystal Heath, a Bay Area veterinarian and co-founder of Our Honor, an animal welfare organization.

You have hundreds, if not thousands of genetically similar animals all living in the same space, standing in each others waste and breathing on each other, said Heath. Its Shangri-La for an opportunistic virus.

And it is still unclear how widespread the virus is, or for how long its been infecting cattle, said Weese.

The fact that observers had noticed a drop in milk production in states now known to have infected herds suggests to some it may have been around for weeks or months. And if symptoms were mild enough in cattle and humans not to warrant a vet or doctors visit, it could be circulating and getting even more chances to evolve, said Weese including finding a mammalian host with a human and avian flu, allowing an opportunity to mix and recombine.

Which is why many are now looking toward factory pigs and swine, said Matthew Hayek, assistant professor of Environmental Studies at New York University in the Department of Environmental Studies. Pigs are considered effective and concerning flu-recombination factories mammalian vessels that mix human and bird flu viruses with potentially lethal ease.

Thats a problem not just for the sake of our food production, he said, but for the sake of our safety as a species.

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'Nobody saw this coming'; California dairies scramble to guard herds against bird flu - Los Angeles Times

Bird Flu, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus, is back. The virus has stalked flocks across the nation for about 20 years now, but for the first time there has been a recorded case of a human infection. Despite this, officials said there is very little threat of infection for humans.

Amanda Potter is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Agent in Rowan County. She said as of right now there have only been two confirmed cases of Bird Flu in Kentucky with the recent outbreak, two snow geese in Henderson County.

Despite that, she said it is still important for people to know the signs and symptoms of Bird Flu to protect domestic flocks.

The main symptoms that people are told to look out for are issues with coordination, you may notice droopy wings, lethargy, unwillingness to fly if it is a type of avian that can fly. Of course, things like chickens arent really known for their willingness to fly anyway, said Potter.

Additional signs are head tremors and odd behavior like ducks who seem to want to swim in circles.

Potter added that there are steps people can take to protect themselves and other flocks of birds from infection.

Dont harvest, handle, or consume any birds that appear to be sick, or that you found that have already died. Make sure you are harvesting waterfowl outside or in a well-ventilated area. Make sure youre disinfecting any equipment or tools, and then of course dont eat, drink, smoke, bring your hands to your mouth if youre cleaning these game birds, said Potter.

If someone suspects a bird might be infected, Potter said to contact their local extension office, or the veterinary diagnostic lab at the University of Kentucky, which has after-hours service. She added that more general information can also be found at local extension offices.

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Officials describe symptoms of Bird Flu as cases are confirmed in Kentucky amid national outbreak - WMKY

Topline

Bird flu has spread between farm mammals in at least five states this year, and health agencies note pets like cats and dogs may be susceptible if theyre exposed to infected animals, though transmission to humans is unlikely.

dog and cat, looking out the window together

Bird flu (also called avian flu) refers to a group of potentially deadly infections caused by avian influenza Type A viruses, and typically infects domestic poultry and wild migratory birds.

Although bird flu usually spreads between birds, it is possible for the infection to spread to mammals like domestic dogs and cats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Domestic animals can become infected with bird flu if they eat or are exposed to sick or dead birds that are infected with the virus, and cats are the most susceptible domestic animals to become infected, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Although it can occur, the chances of people catching bird flu from their pet dogs and cats are extremely unlikely, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Symptoms of bird flu in cats and dogs include a fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, conjunctivitis (or pink eye)and neurological signs like seizures and tremors, and death is also a possible outcome.

The Department of Agriculture announced bird flu was detected in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas on March 25. The agency later discovered dairy herds in Michigan, New Mexico and Idaho were also infected. Minnesota also reported a case of bird flu in a goat on March 20, which is the first case of infection in a domestic ruminant in the U.S., referring to many common grazing mammals in the U.S., including domestic cattle, according to the AVMA. On April 1, Texas officials announced the second known case of a type of bird flu called H5N1 in a person in the U.S., which was spread from exposure to cattle. The first occurred in 2022 when a person in Colorado contracted the disease from infected poultry. This case does not change the risk for the general public, which remains low, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services announcement. The patient reported eye redness as their only symptom, and is being treated with antiviral medication, the CDC reports. Though human infection is rare, there have been 887 reported cases between January 2003 and February 2024 in 23 countries, according to the World Health Organization. The virus can be extremely dangerous for humans who are infected, as 52% of these cases ended in death.

A veterinarian in New York City was infected with H5N7, a type of bird flu virus, after caring for infected cats admitted into an animal shelter in November 2016, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Disease. The cat died a few days later, and further testing discovered the virus spread throughout the facility to several other shelter cats, though other animals like dogs werent infected. No one who came into contact with these catsincluding the 165 volunteers and employees, and over 180 adopterswere suspected of having the illness, except for the visiting veterinarian. This person had prolonged exposure without face protections with infected cats and their secretions. The veterinarian had a mild illness, which included a sore throat, cough and muscle pain, though they were treated and cured with medication without hospitalization.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a few bird flu vaccines for humans. The U.S. has a small stockpile of vaccines for two bird flu viruses (H5N1 and H7N9), but it wouldnt be enough to vaccinate all Americans if an outbreak were to happen among humans. If an outbreak among humans does occur, the government plans to mass produce vaccines, which can take at least six months to make enough for the entire population. Sequirs, the maker of one of the approved vaccines, expects to have 150 million vaccines ready within six months of an announcement of a bird flu pandemic. Because there are 8 billion people on the planet, that means less than 2% of the world population will receive the vaccine after the first six months of a potential outbreak.

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Pets And Bird Flu: What To Know - Forbes

A bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows has grown to affect more than two dozen herds in eight states, just weeks after the nations largest egg producer found the virus in its chickens.

Health officials stress that the risk to the public is low and that the U.S. food supply remains safe and stable.

At this time, there continues to be no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it affects the safety of the interstate commercial milk supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

Heres what you need to know about bird flu and food:

Which states have found bird flu in dairy cows?

As of Friday, the strain of bird flu that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has been found in at least 26 dairy herds in eight U.S. states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and South Dakota.

The virus, known as Type A H5N1, has been detected in a range of mammals over the last few years, but this is the first time it has been found in cattle, according to federal health and animal agencies. Genetic analysis of the virus does not show that it has changed to spread more easily in people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

How is bird flu affecting food production?

Agriculture officials in at least 17 states have restricted imports of dairy cattle from states where the virus has been detected, but, so far, government agencies say its had little effect on commercial milk production. Officials believe cows likely have been infected by exposure to wild birds, but said cow-to-cow spread cannot be ruled out.

Farmers are testing cows that show symptoms of infection, including sharply reduced milk supply and lethargy. Animals that show signs or test positive for illness are being separated from other animals on the farms. The animals appear to recover within two weeks.

U.S. egg producers are watching the situation closely after bird flu was detected in chickens in Texas and Michigan. Millions of birds have been killed, but the FDA said the risk of affected eggs getting into the retail market or causing infections in humans is low because of federal inspections and other safeguards.

Does pasteurization kill bird flu?

Scientists say theres no evidence to suggest that people can contract the virus by consuming food thats been pasteurized, or heat-treated or properly cooked.

Its not a food safety concern, said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University.

Two people in U.S. have been infected with bird flu to date. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.

Is grocery store milk safe from bird flu?

Yes, according to food safety experts and government officials.

U.S. producers are barred from selling milk from sick cows and must divert and destroy it. In addition, milk sold across state lines is required to be pasteurized, or heat-treated using a process that kills bacteria and viruses, including influenza.

We firmly believe that pasteurization provides a safe milk supply, Tracey Forfa, director of the FDAs Center for Veterinary Medicine told a webinar audience this week.

Is raw milk safe from bird flu?

The FDA and the CDC are less certain about unpasteurized, or raw, milk sold in many states, saying theres limited information about the possible transmission of the H5N1 virus in such products.

So far, no herds linked to raw milk providers have reported cows infected with bird flu, but the agencies recommend that the industry not make or sell raw milk or raw milk cheese products made with milk from cows that show symptoms or are exposed to infected cows.

U.S. health officials have long warned against the risk of food-borne illness tied to raw milk, which the CDC said caused more than 200 outbreaks that sickened more than 2,600 people between 1998 and 2018.

Still, raw milk proponents like Mark McAfee, owner of Raw Farm USA in Fresno, Calif., said the outbreak of H5N1 in commercial cows appears to have spurred higher sales of the products, despite federal warnings.

Can you catch bird flu from eggs or meat?

Only dairy cows, not beef cattle, have been infected or shown signs of illness to date, agriculture officials said.

The largest egg producer in the U.S. temporarily halted operations on April 2 after finding bird flu in its chickens. Cal-Maine Foods culled about 1.6 million laying hens and another 337,000 pullets, or young hens, after the detection.

The company said there was no risk to eggs in the market and that no eggs had been recalled.

Eggs that are handled properly and cooked thoroughly are safe to eat, said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Center for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University.

A lot of people like runny eggs. Personally, if I eat an egg, its very well cooked, she said.

Still, Kowalcyk and others cautioned that the situation could change.

This is an emerging issue and clearly this pathogen is evolving and theres a lot that we dont know, she said. I do think that everybody is trying to figure it out as quickly as possible.

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Bird flu spreads to more farm animals. Are milk, eggs safe? - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

The recent detection of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle, coupled with reports of a dairy worker contracting the virus, demands a departure from the usual reassurances offered by federal health officials. While they emphasize theres no cause for alarm and assert diligent monitoring, its imperative we break from this familiar script.

H5N1, a strain of the flu virus known to infect bird species globally and several mammalian species in the U.S. since 2022, has now appeared to have breached a new barrier of inter-mammalian transmission, as exemplified by the expanding outbreak in dairy cows in several jurisdictions linked to an initial outbreak in Texas. Over time, continued transmission among cattle is likely to yield mutations that will further increase the efficiency of mammal-to-mammal transmission.

As the Centers for Disease Control continues to investigate, this evolutionary leap, if confirmed, underscores the adaptability of the H5N1 virus and raises concerns about the next step required for a pandemic: its potential to further evolve for efficient human transmission. Because humans have no natural immunity to H5N1, the virus can be particularly lethal to them. Despite assertions of an overall low risk of H5N1 infection to the general population, the reality is that the understanding of this risk is limited, and its evolving alongside the virus. The situation could change very quickly, so it is important to be prepared.

Comparisons to seasonal flu management underestimate the unique challenges posed by H5N1. Unlike its seasonal counterparts, vaccines produced and stockpiled to tackle bird flu were not designed to match this particular strain and are available in such limited quantities that they could not make a dent in averting or mitigating a pandemic, even if deployed in the early stages to dairy workers. The FDA-approved H5N1 vaccines licensed in 2013, 2017, and 2020 do not elicit a protective immune response after just one dose. Even after two doses, it is unknown whether the elicited immune response is sufficient to protect against infection or severe disease, as these vaccines were licensed based on their ability to generate an immune response thought to be helpful in preventing the flu.

Early studies done by mRNA vaccine companies on seasonal flu are promising, which could be good news here since mRNA vaccines can be made more quickly than vaccines using eggs or cells. Congressional funding is needed to catalyze rapid vaccine development and production.

While FDA-approved antiviral drugs like Tamiflu and Xofluza could be an important line of defense against H5N1, logistical barriers impede their timely administration, as they work best when given as early as possible within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Most Americans would find it challenging to get a prescription filled for these medicines within the optimal time frame. Streamlining access to stockpiled antiviral drugs through improved test-to-treat measures like behind-the-counter distribution or dedicated telemedicine consultations could vastly improve their effectiveness as a frontline defense. Making plans to do that need to start now.

For vulnerable people older adults and anyone who is immunocompromised clinicians have become accustomed to relying on monoclonal antibodies. Sadly, their performance for flu has been disappointing in many clinical trials and cant be counted on.

The need for robust diagnostic capabilities cannot be overstated. H5N1 will not be detected by the typical rapid flu antigen tests that are administered in emergency rooms and many doctors offices. New tests will have to be made from scratch. The dismantling of diagnostic infrastructure post-Covid-19 and supply chain disruptions, however, pose significant challenges to the availability of such tests. Rapid investment in diagnostic testing, coupled with efforts to secure essential materials, is imperative to ensure timely detection and antiviral treatment.

President Bidens emphasis on infrastructure presents a unique opportunity to fortify Americas defenses against infectious diseases. A national initiative to enhance indoor air quality in schools and communal spaces could mitigate transmission risks should this virus learn how to efficiently be transmitted between humans, and would pay dividends every respiratory virus season and for years to come.

In the face of uncertainty, complacency is not an option. The U.S. must act decisively, acknowledging the potential gravity of the H5N1 situation while leveraging every available resource to safeguard public health. The stakes are too high to repeat past mistakes.

Luciana Borio is an infectious disease physician, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, a venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners, and former director for medical and biodefense preparedness policy at the National Security Council. Phil Krause is a virologist, infectious disease physician, and former deputy director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review at the FDA. The authors have no links to any companies producing or evaluating any of the vaccines or therapies mentioned in this article, and declare no conflicts of interest.

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H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle: A wake-up call to action - STAT

Dairy worker's bird flu case sparks concern as experts wonder about spillover to humans

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTGS)

The recent bird flu infection of a dairy worker in Texas has placed officials and scientists on high alert. Although experts say the virus isnt something to panic about, it certainly is something to keep an eye on.

Doctors told WTGS that the virus has a mortality rate of around 50% in humans. While it hasnt infected a lot of humans, this week the CDC asked states to be ready with testing.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," said Timothy Connelly, an internal medicine physician at Memorial Health.

The initial symptoms of bird flu are very similar to COVID-19 or the regular flu, such as muscle aches and upper respiratory symptoms that could have you reaching for ibuprofen. Connelly said the medication that is highly effective in this instance is Tamiflu. It works best if given within 48 hours of getting infected.

The virus is contagious and is spread through the air.

"It is not easily spread between humans. Usually, people get it from birds," said Connelly. "But as we have seen, recently people have been able to get it from cows. It hasnt been a lot of animals that have been infected. There have been a significant number of chickens and poultry birds that have been infected. The FDA has identified them and taken them out of the food supply. If you were to consume an animal that was infected, if you cooked it properly that would kill the virus. It is not something that we are super concerned about right now."

While there are four vaccines licensed for avian influenza, none are approved for the more dangerous bird flu strain: H5N1. A vaccine specifically for that strain is in trials.

Connelly said there is some degree of protection with the traditional flu shot.

Poultry farms across Georgia serve as one of the state's leading cash crops. A lot of migrant birds pass through southeastern Georgia, and they bring with them disease.

"Agriculture workers are the most likely individuals to get infected with this first," Connelly said. "Particularly people who work with birds. The migratory pattern of birds is what spreads this. We are towards the end of the migratory season. We are hoping it doesnt become an issue this year. But every year we have been seeing more species getting bird flu, more mammals getting bird flu, and more pathology with bird flu."

In the coming months, Connelly said the big question is how we'd be able to treat it if a lot of people were to get it at one time. He added that preparation is the best way to avoid the question.

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Dairy worker's bird flu case sparks concern as experts wonder about spillover to humans - KEYE TV CBS Austin

US news

Ca-Maine Foods, largest fresh egg producer in US, temporarily halts production at one Texas facility after discovering virus

Fri 12 Apr 2024 07.00 EDT

Avian influenza has been detected among chickens in Texas and Michigan, following news of the virus infecting livestock and then a person for the first time in the US and potentially leading to supply chain issues.

The developments have led to a heightened focus on the potential risks of the virus, especially in the wake of the devastating coronavirus pandemic. But experts are saying that there is little chance of transmission between humans at this point.

Cal-Maine Foods, the largest producer of fresh eggs in the US, has temporarily halted production at one Texas facility and is killing 1.6 million hens and 337,000 chicks 3.6% of its entire flock after discovering the highly pathogenic virus among its domesticated birds.

These are hard times for dairies and the poultry folks, said Lewis R Bud Dinges, Texas state veterinarian and executive director of the Texas animal health commission.

Outbreaks like these may have repercussions on the price of poultry and eggs, particularly if the virus keeps spreading in domesticated flocks much like the 2022-23 outbreak that raised the price of eggs by 70%. Continued spread among chickens could also threaten the production of the flu vaccine, which relies on 140m eggs a year to incubate inoculations.

The CDC released a health advisory notice last Friday, recommending that doctors keep a lookout for possible avian flu among patients, especially those who frequently come into close contact with birds and animals.

Anyone in contact with birds and livestock, including agricultural workers, hunters, and backyard farmers, should wear protective gear and follow strict hygiene standards. They just need to pay extra attention to biosecurity and cleaning and disinfecting, Dinges said. Make sure they wash their hands and wear protective clothing and leave their clothing at the facility where they work clothing and footwear if at all possible.

An inmate who was culling infected flocks in Colorado became the first person in the US with a known bird flu infection in 2022.

On 20 March, Minnesota reported that baby goats were sickened by bird flu, marking the first time the virus had been discovered in livestock. Days later, the virus was also discovered among cows. Cows in North Carolina tested positive for bird flu on Wednesday, bringing the affected count up to 21 herds in seven states.

Genomic sequencing revealed that the spillover to cows did not seem to make the virus more transmissible to humans this time, so the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is still low, said Seema Lakdawala, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Transmission of influenza viruses in humans requires lots of different variables to align just right, and the current H5N1 viruses do not have all the correct parameters for spreading between humans, she wrote in an email.

However, the more the virus spills from birds into other hosts like cattle, foxes, seals, etc the more likely the virus is to change and gain properties that could lead to successful human-to-human transmission.

Avian influenza is an emerging disease among livestock, Dinges said, and theres a lot that we dont know about the pathogenesis in the cow itself. Were still kind of learning as we go here.

Its not clear how the herds encountered the virus, but the genomic sequences are very similar pointing to a single introduction, probably from a dead bird, that spread within the herds rather than several introductions over time.

The outbreak among dairy cows could lead to local shortages, but for now its unlikely to create national or regional shortages or price increases, said Tinglong Dai, professor of business at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Thats because the US is in its high season for milk production.

In the spring and summer, usually, you have higher yields than during the winter, he said. Suppose this happened in the fall or in the winter: the supply chain impact would have been much bigger.

If the outbreak among cows continues in the fall, it could affect supply and prices. In the meantime, affected cows are being isolated until their illnesses pass.

Chickens, on the other hand, usually die from the virus, so producers cull them as soon as the virus is detected.

The most effective way to stop the spread is to kill the chickens, Dai said. That means prices for poultry and eggs could be more affected by this outbreak than for milk and cheese.

The manufacturing process for flu shots also relies heavily on eggs, and egg shortages in the past have led to vaccine shortages. So far, no vaccine makers have reported shortages.

Its just if the situation keeps going if infection spreads, again, we need to monitor very, very closely, Dai said. This also depends on how this is going to evolve in the coming days.

Scientists are sounding the alarm in order to keep farmers and other agricultural workers safe, and to continue monitoring the spread of the virus.

For example, its not clear how common it is for avian influenza to spill over from birds to animals, Lakdawala said. Currently, in the US, most of this surveillance is from examination of animals that are found sick or died.

If the virus has been quietly spilling over into other animal hosts that dont get very sick or die as with white-tailed deer and Covid scientists dont know about it. Thats why they need more funding for monitoring concerning viruses like the flu, Lakdawala said.

This is a gap we need to try to fill, but is hard to do without more resources and investment into large-scale surveillance programs.

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Bird flu detected among chickens in Texas and Michigan - The Guardian US

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Infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to analyze the level of concern after a person contracted bird flu in Texas.

The United States is currently grappling with a bird flu outbreak, which has affected two dozen dairy cow herds across eight states. This comes just weeks after the nation's largest egg producer detected the virus in its chickens.

Despite the disease's spread, health officials urge the public to stay calm, emphasizing that the risk to the public is minimal and assuring that the nation's food supply remains secure.

"At this time, there continues to be no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it affects the safety of the interstate commercial milk supply," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

RELATED: Bird flu: Can humans get infected?

Here's a simple rundown of what's happening with the outbreak and how it affects the safety of your food.

Yes, as health officials have mentioned before, there's no worry about the U.S. food supply.

While it's possible for people to catch bird flu if they're in close contact with infected birds, it doesn't happen often.

Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been circulating among a broader range of animal species, including dogs, cats, skunks, bears, seals, and porpoises, across numerous countries.

However, experts advise against panicking, emphasizing that the risk to the general public is minimal and there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.

U.S. producers cannot sell milk from sick cows and must dispose of it. Moreover, milk sold between states must undergo pasteurization, a heat treatment process that eliminates bacteria and viruses, including influenza.

"We firmly believe that pasteurization provides a safe milk supply," Tracey Forfa, director of the FDAs Center for Veterinary Medicine told a webinar audience this week.

The FDA and the CDC express uncertainty regarding unpasteurized, or raw, milk sold in numerous states, citing limited information on potential H5N1 virus transmission in these products.

While no herds associated with raw milk suppliers have reported bird flu-infected cows thus far, both agencies advise the industry against producing or selling raw milk or raw milk cheese products from cows displaying symptoms or those exposed to infected cows.

U.S. health officials have long warned against the risk of foodborne illness tied to raw milk, which the CDC said caused more than 200 outbreaks that sickened more than 2,600 people between 1998 and 2018.

After reports surfaced earlier this month of a dairy worker in Texas contracting a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu, it's understandable that concerns about a potential broader health emergency may arise. But this is only the second case of a person in the U.S. being diagnosed with the Type A H5N1 virus.

The first instance occurred in 2022 when a prison inmate participating in a work program contracted the virus while culling infected birds at a poultry farm in Montrose County, Colorado. Despite experiencing fatigue as the sole symptom, the individual made a full recovery.

According to agriculture officials, only dairy cows, not beef cattle, have been infected or displayed signs of illness thus far.

The largest egg producer in the U.S. suspended operations on April 2 upon discovering bird flu in its chickens. Cal-Maine Foods euthanized approximately 1.6 million laying hens and an additional 337,000 pullets (young hens) following the detection.

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FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall with a live report on a human case of bird flu being confirmed in Texas.

The company reassured consumers that there was no risk to eggs in the market and that no eggs had been recalled.

Eggs that are handled properly and cooked thoroughly are safe to eat, said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Center for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University.

"A lot of people like runny eggs. Personally, if I eat an egg, its very well cooked," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

Continued here:

Bird flu outbreak: Are milk and eggs safe? - FOX 5 DC

This article is an installment of Future Explored, a weekly guide to world-changing technology. You can get stories like this one straight to your inbox every Thursday morning bysubscribing here.

On April 5, the CDC issued a health alert informing the public and the medical community that a person in the US had contracted avian flu something that had only happened once before. Less than a week earlier, the virus had been spotted in herds of dairy cows in the US.

So, how worrying is it that bird flu jumped to a person and what can we do to stop the virus from becoming a bigger problem in the future?

There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. Type A and B viruses regularly infect people, and certain type A viruses can infect birds, pigs, dogs, and several other species, too.

Usually, a subtype of influenza that infects one species doesnt readily infect another, but as the virus spreads, it can mutate or recombine with other flu viruses in ways that allow it to make the jump to a new species. In March 2024, the USDA reported that a strain of avian flu H5N1 2.3.4.4b had infected herds of dairy cows in five states, and chicken producers across the country are also culling millions of birds in efforts to control outbreaks in poultry.

A person working on a dairy farm with infected cows in Texas soon tested positive for the avian flu, leading experts to suspect he contracted the virus from a cow.

This is the first time avian flu has been detected in US livestock and the first time a human has seemingly contracted the virus from a mammal (and not from exposure to an infected bird), but that doesnt necessarily mean were on the brink of a new pandemic.

The chance of you getting sick from the milk of an infected cow is extremely low.

Even though these are the first reported cases of avian flu in cows, H5N1 has been detected in more than 30 mammal species previously, so the virus making the leap into one more isnt entirely surprising.

The fact that these are dairy cows and therefore in the human food chain does make this more noteworthy than, say, when the virus was spotted in tigers for the first time, but the chance of you getting sick from the milk of an infected cow is extremely low, thanks to pasteurization.

Farmers are also being directed to destroy milk from any cows they know are infected.

H5N1 virus particles (gold) grown in canine kidney cells (green)

It isnt entirely clear how the virus is spreading in cattle it could be spreading through the air, through contaminated milking equipment, or some other vector. While mammals usually contract H5N1 from a bird and then either recover or die without spreading the virus to other mammals, mammal-to-mammal transmission isnt entirely unheard of.

In 2022 and 2023, the virus appeared to spread between farmed minks, and some people whove contracted the virus in the past had no known contact with infected birds before getting sick, suggesting that they might have gotten it from another person or mammal, too.

That makes the spread of the virus between cows rare, but not unprecedented, and thankfully, the virus isnt making the animals too sick they have mild fevers, decreased appetites, and decreased milk production, but recover fairly quickly.

The farmer who caught the virus from a cow, meanwhile, only had one symptom conjunctivitis (pink eye) and is now recovering after treatment with an antiviral medication.

The US has been studying H5N1 for years and has stockpiled avian flu vaccines.

While the CDC notes that the current risk to the public remains low, the more opportunities the avian flu virus has to spread, the more chances it gets to mutate into something that is dangerous.

Thankfully, the US has been studying H5N1 for years and has stockpiled avian flu vaccines and treatments just in case the virus becomes more contagious or starts to cause more severe infections. Other ways to protect humans and livestock from the virus are in the works, too.

The fact that weve already developed avian flu vaccines means that, if a threatening strain of bird flu emerges, we should be in a better place than we were at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we didnt have any coronavirus vaccines.

However, the vaccines we have for bird flu might not be as effective as they were when they were first developed.

By the time a targeted shot was designed and manufactured, the virus could be widespread.

Flu viruses mutate readily, and because a vaccine that works great against one strain might not be effective against another, developers of human flu vaccines tweak their shots every year to target the handful of strains they think will dominate the upcoming flu season.

Unfortunately, because it takes a long time to manufacture large quantities of flu vaccine using the traditional method growing the virus in chicken eggs and then inactivating it they need to pick a target 6-9 months in advance, and that long lead time can make it hard to choose the best one.

We could face this same problem with avian flu vaccines.

The strain that infected the Texas farmer was closely related to the ones used for existing avian flu shots, according to the CDC, but not an exact match. A strain that was able to spread from person to person could be significantly different, and by the time a targeted shot was designed and manufactured, the virus could be widespread.

Even if a potential epidemic strain wasnt radically different, though, a bird flu outbreak could actually kill a lot of the chickens that we need to lay the eggs to make a vaccine and the more the virus spreads, the more chances it has to mutate and dodge our immune defenses.

A lab worker injecting a human flu virus into eggs during the manufacturing process

mRNA vaccines the kind approved for COVID-19 can be designed and manufactured more quickly than traditional flu shots, and they dont require any birds or eggs, which could make them a better option in the event of a future avian flu outbreak.

Several vaccine makers are already developing the shots, too, including Moderna in March 2023, it announced that it was working on an mRNA-based avian flu vaccine, which it said it planned to test in humans before mid-year (though there hasnt been an update on the shot since).

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, published a paper in 2022 detailing a promising mRNA-based vaccine that targets 20 strains of flu, including H5N1, and in 2023, they shared a preprint of a study that found a version targeting H5N1 2.3.4.4b, specifically, was effective in animals.

More research is needed to get any mRNA shot for bird flu across the finish line, but developing them now before a threatening strain is already spreading means we have a better chance of having one ready if we need it.

Because the avian flu starts in birds, stopping them from getting infected in the first place could be an even better way to prevent a pandemic, not to mention save the lives of potentially millions of birds and protect the global supply of eggs and poultry.

Avian flu vaccines for birds could be one way to do that.

In 1994, Mexico became the first nation to vaccinate chickens against a strain of bird flu, and more than a dozen others have since followed suit, with China relying heavily on vaccination to protect its flocks.

US farmers have avoided avian flu vaccines for livestock due to issues with exporting poultry and eggs from vaccinated birds. Instead, as in many countries, they rely on culling to stop outbreaks if one bird tests positive, the entire flock is killed.

That could change, though.

Maybe its time to discuss vaccination.

In April 2023, the USDA began trialing several vaccines to protect birds against H5N1 2.3.4.4b, and the following month, the World Organisation for Animal Health an intergovernmental group focused on animal disease control suggested that vaccines should be considered.

Since almost every country that does international trade has now been infected, maybe its time to discuss vaccination, in addition to systematic culling which remains the main tool (to control the disease), Monique Eloit, WOAHs director general, told Reuters.

Vaccine development is slow going, though, with US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack telling Congress in February 2024 that the USDA is probably 18 months or so away from identifying a vaccine that would be effective against the strain of avian flu thats currently spreading.

Even if the USDA does develop an effective vaccine for this strain, it then needs to work out the logistics of manufacturing and distributing the shots and then go through the process again for future strains.

Gene-editing offers a promising route towards permanent disease resistance.

A more radical idea for protecting poultry from avian flu is taking shape in the UK, where scientists are trying to use CRISPR to genetically engineer chickens that cannot catch the flu at all.

In 2023, the team announced that editing one gene stopped chickens from producing a protein that the avian flu virus uses to replicate itself inside cells. When intentionally exposed to the virus, just one out of 10 gene-edited birds was infected, and that one didnt spread the virus to any others.

The UK researchers suspect theyd need to make two more edits to the chickens to confer total immunity, and more research is needed to see how that might affect the health of the birds. If it proves safe and effective, though, the CRISPR approach could be a lasting solution to the bird flu problem in chickens.

Gene-editing offers a promising route towards permanent disease resistance, which could be passed down through generations, protecting poultry and reducing the risks to humans and wild birds, said Mike McGrew, the studys principal investigator, in October 2023.

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The threat of avian flu and what we can do to stop it - Freethink