The highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has been making its way through US dairy cows, causing alarm among researchers across the globe. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported outbreaks in 32 herds spread across 8 states, with unclear connections between the affected herds and states.
Experts believe that the virus is spreading through cattle movements, indicating possible cow-to-cow transmission, potentially through contaminated milking equipment. A worrying development was seen in North Carolina, where an infected herd showed no symptoms, sparking concerns about the possibility of asymptomatic spread.
To combat the spread of H5N1, the USDA is urging farmers to test their herds for the virus, even if they do not show clinical symptoms. In a bid to incentivize testing, the USDA has started reimbursing farms for testing asymptomatic cows.
The virus from dairy farms has even made its way back to birds in nearby poultry farms, though the specific method of spread remains unknown. There are fears that the virus could evolve to infect humans, potentially spreading to pig farms. Furthermore, there have been criticisms towards the USDA for not sharing enough information, although they have now begun releasing genetic sequences to international databases.
Despite the concerns, both the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that the public risk is low. However, they are advising caution for farmworkers and others who come into contact with infected animals.
Milk from infected cows is being destroyed, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confident that the virus is inactivated through pasteurization. Nevertheless, some experts are calling for confirmation of this data before fully reassuring the public.
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