BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain
BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain
USDA says genetic sequencing revealed the mystery illness impacting Texas dairies is the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that's been in the U.S. The virus is carried by wild waterfowl.
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Bird flu still hasn't migrated to mammals. Let alone humans.
USDA reports that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd. APHIS says based on findings from Texas, "the detections appear to have been introduced by wild birds. Initial testing by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans, which would indicate that the current risk to the public remains low."
Yes, it has infected plenty of mammals. It has caused mass die offs in aquatic mamals in South America and has spread through a mink farm in Europe. But no, it does not appear to have adapted to transmit more easily between humans yet.
I heard a marine biologist just last week saying marine mammals were being infected by sick birds that they had eaten. At most I see talk of suspicion of transmission between mammals like in that Spanish mink farm. So I still think people are getting carried away ITT until I see some science to the contrary.
It has, over the past few years, adapted to spread from birds to mammals more effectively, but so far does not seem to be transmitted from one mammal to another more easily. The fear with finding large numbers of herbivores (who don't eat dead birds) positive is, I suppose, that this could signify further genetic changes. Not saying this is definately the case, but it is still an important development and it's good that people are taking this seriously. Furthermore, humans have a lot more contact with farm animals than wild predators, so zoonosis is probably more likely to occur from one of these animals than like... a sea lion.
Just to be clear, I'm not saying we should panic - the fact the animals are not too sick is good to hear - we just don't want to be caught with our trousers down (again).
Agreed on all points. But ITT there are people jumping the gun a bit. And some heavy downvoting if you don't join the chorus.
Are you saying that cattle aren't mammals?
They're trying to say that cattle can't give it to other cattle, only birds can give it to mammals.. so far!
We should continue our horrid factory farming practices and give it the best chance. /s
You can't expect people like this to understand anything beyond their agenda.
Agenda? :rolleyes: