Fifteen farms in six US states are battling outbreaks of bird flu, amid growing concerns that the virus could spread to people.
Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho and Ohio have reported the virus in herds, raising concerns about milk supply.
At the same time, the largest egg producer in the United States, in Texas, also had to cull almost 2 million birds after detecting the disease in its flock, which could drive up the price of eggs.
The first case in cattle was reported on March 25 in Texas, and cases were then reported in herds across the country as cattle were shipped from the state.
A Texas farm worker tested positive for the virus and three cats in the state are reported to have died from the disease.
Health agencies say the risk to the public is still low, but farm workers in close contact with infected animals and equipment are believed to be at higher risk.
The map above shows the states where infections have been detected in livestock.
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Scientists aren’t sure how the virus spreads among cattle, but experts suggest it may be through infected milk droplets on the clothing or gloves of dairy workers or on the suction cups of milking machines.
So far, tests have only detected the virus in cow’s milk, while nose and blood samples from infected animals have returned negative results.
“We haven’t seen any real indication that cows are actively shedding the virus and directly exposing it to other animals,” the agency’s Dr. Mark Lyons said in a briefing yesterday. Science.
It is believed that the cats became infected after consuming infected cow’s milk.
Texas, the largest cattle state in the United States, is hardest hit by the outbreaks, and seven farms are reported to have cows infected with bird flu.
Three farms in Kansas also report infected cattle, as well as two in New Mexico and one each in Michigan, Idaho and Ohio.
Many of them have been linked to Texas, having recently received livestock from infected farms in the state. It is not unusual for dairy herds to be sent to areas further north at this time of year.
Sick cows are reported to eat less and produce less milk today, although they do not die from the disease.
Experts are concerned about infections in mammals because each gives the virus a chance to acquire mutations that make it more capable of infecting mammals and spreading among them.
Some have also expressed concern about the infection in a human, saying it is so mild that there is a risk of other human cases going undetected.
Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said: “Particularly concerning is the fact that this human case was limited to mild conjunctivitis.
‘That’s good for the person who contracted H5N1. But it is not good for preventing overflow. Mild cases may not be recognized or isolated.
Officials say they first became concerned that bird flu had spread to livestock in mid-February, after dead domestic birds and cats were spotted on farms.
This led to cattle being tested for the virus, which ultimately revealed the virus.
The human case was also revealed after they came for treatment for an eye infection.
The CDC says it is taking the bird flu case in the United States “very seriously,” amid growing fears that the virus could jump to humans and cause an epidemic.
Mandy Cohen, director of the agency, told NPR that they were “monitoring the situation very closely.”
He added: “That just means more opportunities for this virus to mutate and change.” And that’s what we want to make sure we continue to stay ahead of.”
Experts are concerned about bird flu because of the apparent ease with which it is infecting a wide range of mammals (it is currently detected in more than 40 different species).
They worry that the more infections there are in mammals, the greater the risk of the virus acquiring mutations that allow it to infect them and spread among them.