This Texas veterinarian helped crack the mystery of bird flu in cows
7 months, 3 weeks ago

This Texas veterinarian helped crack the mystery of bird flu in cows

Associated Press  

The first calls that Dr. Barb Petersen received in early March were from dairy owners worried about crows, pigeons and other birds dying on their Texas farms. “It was just a little bit of disbelief.” At the same time, on almost every farm with sick animals, Petersen said she saw sick people, too. Daskalakis said CDC has seen no unusual flu trends in areas with infected cows, but some experts wonder if anecdotal reports of sick workers mean more than one person caught the virus from the animals. Health officials in Texas provided Tamiflu to the person known to be infected with H5N1 and household members, plus two people on a second dairy farm who tested negative but were exposed to infected animals, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. The reluctance of workers and farmers to allow testing is “greatly hampering” understanding of how the virus spreads, how large the outbreak is now and how quickly it may grow, Gray said.

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History of this topic

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases
Trending News
5 days, 16 hours ago

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases

India Today  

The US reported its first severe human case of bird flu on Wednesday in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalised in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. Severe respiratory illness in the Louisiana patient shows increased health risks for people from the virus that previously caused eye redness, or conjunctivitis, in infected dairy workers. "The mild …

Bird flu hospitalizes person in Louisiana, the first severe infection in U.S.
6 days, 16 hours ago

Bird flu hospitalizes person in Louisiana, the first severe infection in U.S.

Salon  

A person has been hospitalized with bird flu in Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking the first time since the outbreak began that an infection with the H5N1 virus reached such severity. Although another severe case hospitalized in a teenager in Canada last month, this is the first severe case reported in the U.S. Related …

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster
1 week ago

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu has seen a resurgence in the U.S. this year, with California leading the pack. Since 2022, millions of egg-laying chickens have been exposed to, infected with and culled or killed by H5N1 in the U.S. What stands out this year is how widespread the infection has been among dairy cows, which are spreading it to farmworkers — the …

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu
1 week, 3 days ago

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu

Wired  

This story originally appeared on Inside Climate News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “It’s a lot of trouble.” Further north and west, in the San Joaquin Valley—the heart of the state’s dairy industry—the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, has rippled through the massive herds that provide most of the country’s milk. The Centers for Disease …

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns
2 weeks, 3 days ago

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns

Deccan Chronicle  

The US government has taken steps to better monitor the spread of bird flu among dairy cows, ordering testing of the nation’s milk supply for the H5N1 virus. While bird flu is typically associated with poultry, recent evidence suggests that it has begun spreading to cows, with initial reports indicating transmission through a single event likely in late 2023. Although …

Bird flu may need a single mutation to spread among humans, study finds
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Bird flu may need a single mutation to spread among humans, study finds

LA Times  

Cows are milked at a Fresno dairy farm. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend: The H5N1 bird flu may be one mutation away from being a threat to humans. And here’s today’s e-newspaper The H5N1 bird flu virus may need just one mutation to be a threat to humans, a study found. “Yikes,” “Oh great” and …

Arizona sees first case of human bird flu as government begins testing milk for virus
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Arizona sees first case of human bird flu as government begins testing milk for virus

Raw Story  

Bird flu has officially jumped from birds to infect two people in Arizona, AZFamily reported Friday. While cases of the disease, known as Type A H5N1, jumping to humans in California have previously been reported, this is the first case in Arizona, the report said. In March, the first case of bird flu was detected in U.S. cows' milk. "The …

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds
2 weeks, 4 days ago

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds

Salon  

As the number of human bird flu cases continues to rise and more dairy farms across the country report outbreaks, scientists are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus will mutate to better infect people. In the lab, the authors of the study found that a single mutation in the primary protein, hemagglutinin could give it the ability to cling onto …

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say

LA Times  

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human infections and possibly even a pandemic, according to some experts. In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Scripps Research Institute biologists determined that a single …

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain

NPR  

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain The spread of bird flu continues to trouble scientists. His experiments with infected cattle indicated bird flu was primarily spreading through virus-laden milk, not as you'd expect from a typical respiratory virus. STONE: The intervening months have made it painfully clear bird flu has a strong foothold in …

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID

Salon  

As America gears up for the year's end and a change in administration, the topic of public health has dominated many conversations throughout the election season, but one facet has been noticeably absent: bird flu. “It would be important for the Trump administration, as it's rolling out its team that's going to be heading CDC, HHS, USDA, that they talk …

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists are warning about the continued transmission of dangerous H5N1 bird …

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country
4 weeks ago

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country

LA Times  

It was a late fall morning and hundreds of cows — black and white splattered Holsteins and cappuccino-colored Jerseys — milled about a San Joaquin Valley dairy farm in the largest milk-producing state in the nation. The scene seemed utterly unremarkable — except for the fact that five days earlier, the H5N1 bird flu virus that has ravaged California’s dairy …

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?
1 month ago

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As the number of human bird flu cases have continued to …

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports
1 month ago

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports

Salon  

The state of California has detected a possible bird flu infection in a child in the Bay Area. The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected. Related Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu Although there have …

Alameda County child believed to be latest case of bird flu; source unknown
1 month ago

Alameda County child believed to be latest case of bird flu; source unknown

LA Times  

California health officials reported Tuesday that a child in Alameda County tested positive for H5N1 bird flu last week. “It worries me greatly that this virus is popping up in more and more places and that we keep being surprised by infections in people whom we wouldn’t think would be at high risk of being exposed to the virus.” A …

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon
1 month, 1 week ago

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon

LA Times  

As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday that six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first. California’s state epidemiologist, Erica Pan, said that while the announcement of five cases today may sound like a sudden explosion or acceleration in cases, it was …

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu
1 month, 1 week ago

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is …

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition
1 month, 1 week ago

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition

LA Times  

Canadian health officials announced Tuesday that a teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu from an unknown source is in critical condition. However, Nuzzo said, while this virus could “be a lot less deadly than what we’ve seen to date,” it could also be far more deadly than any pandemic in a long time, including COVID-19. Her third concern is how …

H5N1 bird flu might be more prevalent among humans than public health data shows
1 month, 1 week ago

H5N1 bird flu might be more prevalent among humans than public health data shows

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As H5N1 bird flu …

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections
1 month, 2 weeks ago

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections

Associated Press  

Federal health officials on Thursday called for more testing of employees on farms with bird flu after a new study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick. Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered treatment even if they show no symptoms, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal …

The first case of bird flu has been found in a pig at an Oregon farm
1 month, 3 weeks ago

The first case of bird flu has been found in a pig at an Oregon farm

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Federal officials …

First US Case of Bird Flu in a Pig Raises Concerns Over Potential Human Threat
1 month, 3 weeks ago

First US Case of Bird Flu in a Pig Raises Concerns Over Potential Human Threat

Associated Press  

A pig at an Oregon farm has been found to have bird flu, marking the first instance of the virus in the United States. The infection poses a potential threat to human health due to its ability to spread to humans. Genetic tests have shown no mutations that suggest the virus is gaining an increased ability to spread to people. …

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S.
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S.

NPR  

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S. toggle caption Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC/AP NEW YORK — A pig at an Oregon farm was found to have bird flu, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. It's the first time the virus has been detected in U.S. swine and raises concerns about bird …

A concerning development: H5N1 bird flu has infected a pig in Oregon, officials say
1 month, 3 weeks ago

A concerning development: H5N1 bird flu has infected a pig in Oregon, officials say

LA Times  

Oregon state and federal officials confirmed Wednesday that H5N1 bird flu was found in a pig living in Crook County — the first such swine infection reported in the current outbreak. “Experts and commentators have minimized the outbreak to date, saying, ‘but it’s not in pigs yet.’ Well, now it seems to be, and just in time for the other …

Alarming development as mutated bird flu strain that is 30x deadlier leaves American infected
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Alarming development as mutated bird flu strain that is 30x deadlier leaves American infected

Daily Mail  

Doctors are expressing alarm about a mutated form of bird flu that infected a farm worker in Texas. Government-backed researchers took a sample of the virus, infected mice and ferrets with it and found it had evolved to become far deadlier than the wild strain currently spreading on US farms. Researchers have suggested that drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected …

No Evidence of Bird Flu Spreading Between People in Missouri
1 month, 4 weeks ago

No Evidence of Bird Flu Spreading Between People in Missouri

Associated Press  

No evidence of bird flu spreading between people has been found in Missouri after an investigation into a mysterious infection. The illness was different from the 30 other bird flu infections in people in the U.S. so far this year, and there was no known contact with an infected animal. The patient had preexisting health problems and was hospitalized in …

As bird flu outbreaks rise, piles of dead cattle become shocking Central Valley tableau
2 months ago

As bird flu outbreaks rise, piles of dead cattle become shocking Central Valley tableau

LA Times  

There’s a sickness hovering over Tulare County‘s dairy industry. Two dead cows lie on the edge of a dairy farm in Tipton, Calif. “I’m surprised there are that few reported,” Anja Raudabaugh, chief executive of Western United Dairies, a California dairy trade organization, said recently after being told the latest case number was 105. “Virus will survive on the carcass …

As bird flu outbreak expands in California, dairy farms report it’s worse than they expected
2 months, 2 weeks ago

As bird flu outbreak expands in California, dairy farms report it’s worse than they expected

CNN  

CNN — A third farmworker has tested positive for bird flu in California, according to the state’s health department. “I have seen little that abates my worry that this virus will eventually cause hospitalizations or deaths,” she added Dozens of California herds affected Since late August, more than 80 herds in California have been affected by bird flu, according to …

Australia's dairy farmers prepared to face deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu if it arrives
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Australia's dairy farmers prepared to face deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu if it arrives

ABC  

Stuart and Belinda Griffin never thought they'd be on the look out for bird flu in their cows. "It's a bit of the alert, but not alarmed," said Stuart whose family has run a dairy farm in Moe, in Victoria's La Trobe Valley, for more than a century. "Veterinarians didn't routinely test cattle for influenza, that was not anywhere on …

Two California farmworkers test positive for bird flu
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Two California farmworkers test positive for bird flu

CNN  

CNN — Two farmworkers in California tested positive for H5 bird flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Thursday. The confirmation came hours after the California Department of Public Health announced the first two presumptive positive cases in humans in the state. “Ongoing health checks of individuals who interact with potentially infected animals helped us quickly …

California reports two confirmed cases of bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers
2 months, 3 weeks ago

California reports two confirmed cases of bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers

LA Times  

The two California cases bring the total of human cases associated with bird-flu-infected dairy cows in the U.S. to six. California health officials reported two confirmed cases of H5N1 bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday, the California Department of Public Health reported that a third possible human case of bird flu had been …

Just How Deadly Is Bird Flu to Humans?
3 months, 1 week ago

Just How Deadly Is Bird Flu to Humans?

Slate  

This story was originally published by Undark and has been republished here with permission. Compared to the H1 and H3 proteins in the influenza A viruses responsible for seasonal flu, H5 proteins trigger a weaker response from the immune system, said Peiris: “People may be getting mildly infected, but it’s not enough to elicit an antibody response.” Peiris and other …

Alarming development as Missouri patient becomes first American to catch H5N1 bird flu with no exposure to animals
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Alarming development as Missouri patient becomes first American to catch H5N1 bird flu with no exposure to animals

Daily Mail  

A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals, in a potentially worrying development. A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals There have also been 196 herds of dairy cows infected with …

Officials confirm H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in three California dairy farms
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Officials confirm H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in three California dairy farms

LA Times  

Federal officials have confirmed that three California dairy herds have suffered outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu, due most likely to the transportation of cattle and not exposure to diseased birds. The B3.13 genetic sequence found in the infected cows was clearly the result of “anthropogenic movement; essentially zero chance it was an independent spill from wild birds into these dairies,” …

California becomes 14th state to detect bird flu in dairy cows
3 months, 2 weeks ago

California becomes 14th state to detect bird flu in dairy cows

Salon  

On Monday, California became the 14th state to report outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows. Some have wondered how the Golden State avoided an outbreak thus far in the bird flu crisis, after nearly 200 outbreaks have been reported from Colorado to Texas to Michigan. In late August, cows at three dairy farms in the Central Valley displayed symptoms …

With only gloves to protect them, farmworkers say they tend sick cows amid bird flu
3 months, 3 weeks ago

With only gloves to protect them, farmworkers say they tend sick cows amid bird flu

Salon  

GREELEY, Colo. — In early August, farmworkers gathered under a pavilion at a park here for a picnic to celebrate Farmworker Appreciation Day. “I tell my wife and son that the cows are sick, and she tells me to leave, but it will be the same wherever I go.” He said he’d heard that his employers were unsympathetic when a …

As human cases of bird flu grow, feds say flu vaccine could help prevent a new pandemic
4 months, 3 weeks ago

As human cases of bird flu grow, feds say flu vaccine could help prevent a new pandemic

LA Times  

A turkey farm near Manson, Iowa. Federal officials say the number of poultry workers infected with H5N1 bird flu has climbed. Although health officials say the risk of H5N1 bird flu infection is still low for the general population, they announced on Monday a $5-million plan to offer seasonal flu vaccine to livestock workers. Officials said they are launching this …

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing
54 years, 11 months ago

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing

Wired  

Ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza have decimated poultry flocks and wild birds across the United States and worldwide. On July 25, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an additional three human cases, bringing the total number of US cases to 13 since April. “These cases are not entirely surprising given that these people were working with infected …

US Bird flu outbreak: From vaccine to transmission, all you need to know
4 months, 4 weeks ago

US Bird flu outbreak: From vaccine to transmission, all you need to know

Hindustan Times  

After H5N1 bird flu was detected at dairy farms, researchers confirmed the respiratory virus had spread to other animals. In a study, rush-released by the journal Nature on July 25 after an initial peer review, the researchers reported a “spillover of HPAI H5N1 virus in dairy cattle herds.” They were also able to detect cattle-to-cat and cattle-to-raccoon transmission, highlighting, as …

Bird flu infections spread among workers at Colorado poultry farm
5 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu infections spread among workers at Colorado poultry farm

LA Times  

A California Department of Food and Agriculture technician swabs a chicken to test for avian influenza. Five poultry workers at a farm in northeast Colorado have been infected by the H5N1 virus, according to Colorado’s department of public health. The workers were culling birds at a commercial poultry farm that had been affected by the virus. “An assessment of these …

US: Four human bird flu infections found in Colorado, health dept warns H5N1 could cause pandemic
5 months, 1 week ago

US: Four human bird flu infections found in Colorado, health dept warns H5N1 could cause pandemic

India TV News  

Colorado reported four confirmed infections of H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry workers, and is checking on the status of a fifth suspected case, health authorities said on Sunday. Human infections with H5N1 avian flu could cause severe disease and even a pandemic if the virus were to change and acquire the ability to spread easily between people, the US …

He reported a possible H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. It took officials weeks to respond
5 months, 1 week ago

He reported a possible H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. It took officials weeks to respond

LA Times  

The virus has — so far — caused only minimal illness among humans, yet has spread rapidly among birds, sea mammals and other species with devastating effect. “I think that once everybody decided it wasn’t going to kill people and pasteurized milk and herds could get over it, then all that was left was to take these stopgap measures — …

Bird flu seems to be slowly mutating to better infect humans. Experts warn the time to act is now
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu seems to be slowly mutating to better infect humans. Experts warn the time to act is now

Salon  

In late March, a worker on a commercial dairy farm in Texas developed a case of pink eye. “There's good news and bad news,” co-author of the study Keith Poulson, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told Salon. Indeed, in the last part of the study scientists discovered that unlike older strains of H5N1, this one has the capacity …

Is bird flu in cattle here to stay?
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Is bird flu in cattle here to stay?

LA Times  

Despite assurances from the federal government that bird flu will be eradicated from the nation’s dairy cows, some experts worry the disease is here to stay. Recently, Eric Deeble, USDA acting senior advisor for H5N1 response, said that the federal government hoped to “eliminate the disease from the dairy herd” without requiring vaccines. David Topham, a professor of microbiology and …

In Michigan: Climate change, bird flu and dairy cows — and why "none of us saw this coming"
6 months, 1 week ago

In Michigan: Climate change, bird flu and dairy cows — and why "none of us saw this coming"

Salon  

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. "We didn't expect to find avian influenza in dairy cattle, and to find that it amplifies so well, and that we have so much virus in the milk," Dodd said. "We want to make sure that we're limiting the further spread of the …

First since 2019, WHO confirms human case of bird flu in India
6 months, 1 week ago

First since 2019, WHO confirms human case of bird flu in India

Firstpost  

India’s International Health Regulations informed WHO about the case on May 22 saying that the patient was infected by the avian influenza virus in West Bengal A case of human infection with bird flu caused by the H9N2 virus was reported in May in West Bengal, the first in India since 2019, the World Health Organisation has said. India’s International …

Bird flu: Why the latest H5N1 case in Michigan is a real cause for concern.
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu: Why the latest H5N1 case in Michigan is a real cause for concern.

Slate  

This article was republished from Sequencer with updates to reflect additional information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last week that a third person in the U.S. has tested positive for a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The two Great Lakes State residents worked on different farms; we also know that for the first time, this third case …

WHO confirms world's first human bird flu death in Mexico
6 months, 2 weeks ago

WHO confirms world's first human bird flu death in Mexico

India Today  

A person with prior health complications who had contracted bird flu died in Mexico in April and the source of exposure to the virus was unknown, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. "Although the source of exposure to the virus in this case is currently unknown, A viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico", WHO said in a …

World's first bird flu human death recorded in Mexico, WHO confirms: These are the symptoms
6 months, 2 weeks ago

World's first bird flu human death recorded in Mexico, WHO confirms: These are the symptoms

Hindustan Times  

The World Health Organisation has confirmed the first human death from bird flu after an alarming increase in cases. World's first Bird Flu death confirmed in Mexico According to a statement from Mexican health officials, later confirmed by the WHO, a 59-year-old reportedly died on April 24 after exhibiting symptoms such as “fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, nausea, and general …

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