As bird flu is confirmed in 33 cattle herds across eight US states, Ian Sample talks to virologist Dr Ed Hutchinson of Glasgow University about why this development has taken scientists by surprise, and how prepared we are for the possibility it might start spreading among humans Guardian reporting on this topic Continue reading
A poultry facility in Michigan and egg producer in Texas both reported outbreaks of avian flu this week. The latest developments on the virus also include infected dairy cows and the first known instance of a human catching bird flu from a mammal. Although health officials say the risk to the public remains low, there []
Analysis shows that fragments of H5N1 survive pasteurisation, but experts say supplies remains safe
Headlines are flying after the Department of Agriculture confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus has infected dairy cows around the country. Tests have detected the virus among cattle in nine states, mainly in Texas and New Mexico, and most recently in Colorado, said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a May 1 event at the Council on Foreign Relations. A menagerie of other animals have been infected by H5N1, and at least one person in Texas....
It’s still unclear whether the detected virus was active. The FDA plans to release additional test results in the coming days.
Genomic analysis suggests that the outbreak probably began in December or January, but a shortage of data is hampering efforts to pin down the source.
US health authorities said Tuesday they had discovered fragments of bird flu virus in the nation's pasteurized cow milk supply during the course of a large study, but the samples likely posed no health risk to humans.
CHICAGO (Reuters) -The U.S. government said on Monday it is collecting samples of ground beef at retail stores in states with outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows for testing, but remains confident the meat supply is safe. Federal officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds in nine states since late March, and in one person in Texas. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization...
The project doesn't even align with government environmental plans from mainland China, birdwatchers say.
Testing of pasteurised milk from stores found genetic traces of H5N1 virus, but fragments do not indicate it contains live virusDairy cows being moved across states must be tested for the bird flu, under a federal order issued on Wednesday aimed at containing the spread of the virus across US cattle farms.The clampdown comes after testing of pasteurised milk from grocery store shelves found genetic traces of the H5N1 virus. Health officials said that these fragments of virus do not indicate that...
The US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that it is issuing a federal order to require more testing and reporting of H5N1 influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, in dairy cows. The USDA had previously required reporting of H5N1 influenza in poultry and wild birds, but producers were not required to let the government know if cows tested positive – a factor the USDA admitted had hampered its ability to investigate the spread of the current outbreak in cattle. Since cases were confirmed...
Cows in 46 herds across nine states have been infected by the virus with officials now preparing for any transmission of the infection