Bird Flu Outbreak In Dairy Cows Might Be Tough To Curb, USDA Reports Hint
Agriculture Department documents note that even on farms that didn't take in outside cattle, herds were contracting the virus and that it was likely a result of movement of workers and shared equipment. Meanwhile, a global health expert denounced the U.S. response to the outbreaks, saying it is “shocking to watch the ineptitude.”
Stat:
USDA Reports Suggest Containing Bird Flu Outbreak In Dairy Cows Will Be Challenging
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released two reports Thursday that lay out what has been learned about how H5N1 bird flu is moving among dairy cow herds in the United States. The reports do not shed much new light on the situation. Instead, they sum up what is known: that the outbreak was probably the result of a single “spillover” of the virus from wild birds into a dairy herd, likely late last year, and that movement of cows, farmworkers, and shared equipment appears to be responsible for the spread. (Branswell, 6/13)
CIDRAP:
USDA Reports Reveal Biosecurity Risks At H5N1-Affected Dairy Farms
Shared equipment and shared personnel working on multiple dairy farms are some of the main risk factors for ongoing spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in dairy cows, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said today in a pair of new epidemiologic reports. (Schnirring, 6/13)
USA Today:
Bird Flu Has Spread To Dairy Farms In 12 States. Data Remains Thin
People and public officials should be "alert but not alarmed" about the current bird flu outbreak, federal authorities said in a Thursday call with reporters. In two new reports, released midday Thursday, officials added details about the spread and status of the outbreak of what is formally called the "highly pathogenic avian influenza." Cattle on more than 90 farms in 12 states have been infected since late last year, as well as three people who caught the disease from cattle. (Weintraub, 6/13)
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Global Vaccine Expert Criticizes 'Ineptitude' Of U.S. Bird Flu Response
Seth Berkley, a longtime and widely respected global health leader, said Thursday that it has been “shocking to watch the ineptitude” of the U.S. response to the avian influenza outbreak among dairy cattle, adding his voice to a chorus of critics. In a presentation in London about vaccine development, Berkley, the former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, raised the issue of H5N1 bird flu when discussing whether the world was ready for another pandemic following its experience with Covid-19. (Joseph, 6/13)
