Recent studies on the genetics of the bird flu affecting U.S. cattle have shed light on its spread. Since its emergence in late 2020, this strain of bird flu has crossed various bird and mammal species, as well as humans. However, the transmission from cow to cow and from cows to humans and other animals is a new development.
Currently, the virus has reached dairy cows in nine U.S. states. A dairy farm worker in Texas contracted an eye infection, likely from contact with infected cows. Traces of the virus have even been detected in supermarket milk, indicating a widespread outbreak.
Mia Kim Torchetti, a veterinarian leading the USDA’s Diagnostic Virology Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, expressed her initial hopes of containing the spread quickly. However, with increasing cases in birds and mammals, she now feels less optimistic.
While the risk of widespread transmission to humans is considered low by public health agencies, the situation is reminiscent of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2024-05-16 10:00:00
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org