H5N1 Cows

A new H5N1 bird flu mutation has appeared in a cluster of infected dairy cows. It's a genetic change that scientists say could not only make the virus more lethal, but increase its spread between mammals and possibly humans.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 viruses have spread globally, established sustained transmission in mammals and caused human infections. Research on these viruses is restricted to high biocontainment laboratories. We report the characterization and utility of a surrogate, replicating virus that …

APHIS confirmed five more detections in dairy cattle

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced an additional six states are enrolling in the National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS). This brings the total number of states testing under NMTS guidelines to 36 since the first round of states joined in early December. With the […]

The milk tested negative for H5N1, but advocates say a slow response highlights gaps in the state's bird flu response.

H5N1 bird flu detected in San Bernardino County; public health officials say risk is low and urge precautions.

News for Springfield and Sangamon County

The recent spillover events of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b to dairy cattle, and high viral shedding in the milk from infected animals, has created concern that milk and dairy products could be a route for human infection. It has been demonstrated that pasteurization is effective in inactivating A(H5N1) in milk. However, multiple dairy products are made with unpasteurized but thermised milk. The aim of this study was to examine whether some conditions commonly used for thermisation are effective against inactivation of A(H5N1) in whole milk. For this purpose, we artificially inoculated whole raw cow milk with 6.5 log10 EID50 A(H5N1) and heated for 15 seconds at 60°C, 63°C and 66°C, the viral infectivity was tested using embryonated chicken eggs. We observed over 4 and 5 log10 reduction in viral infectivity at 60°C and 63°C, respectively. The viral infectivity was reduced to below the detection limit at 66°C. We also calculated the D-values, the time required to reduce the viral titer by one log10, for each treatment and as expected, we observed a decrease in D-values with increasing thermisation temperature. These data demonstrate that thermisation is effective in reducing the viral load and thus they allow for informed risk assessment of A(H5N1) contaminated dairy products made from thermized milk. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

The current intensive circulation of H5N1 in cattle increases the risk of H5N1 viruses better adapting to mammals, potentially spilling over to other livestock and humans.

New Stanford Medicine research shines light on animal-borne disease risk from drinking raw milk and how it relates to recent bird flu concerns.

H5N1 subtype influenza A viruses represent a long-standing pandemic concern. Owing to their global occurrence in poultry, humans are routinely exposed to these viruses, and hundreds of human cases have been documented worldwide since 2003. The relevant viral lineages are not static, however, and hav …

The Illinois state veterinarian says the state is increasing its efforts to monitor dairy cattle for H5N1 avian flu. Dr. Mark Ernst tells Brownfield, “The Illinois Department of Public Health is beginning their initiation of milk testing at processors, and so that should give us an idea as to whether or not we have any […]

Learn how bird flu is increasingly spreading among cows and how there may be a new form of the virus.

Jonathan E. Pekar, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK Thomas P. Peacock, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, UK, GU24 0NF; Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG Louise Moncla, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA Praneeth Gangavarapu, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA Divya Venkatesh, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK Daniel H. Go...

Amid heightened fears of immigration raids, Alianza Agricola has spent months educating hundreds of their coworkers on how to prepare for an avian flu outbreak.

Experts say current US outbreak is unlikely to end without intervention with further mutation of virus likely

An important health alert involving raw milk: Right now consumer consumption is rising despite safety warnings from medical experts.https://www.kare11.com/ar...

FSA is set to host a webinar covering the risks of bird flu in beef and dairy.

In December 2024, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) identified three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) in poultry flocks. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed 36 cases of H5N1 in livestock across four st

This report describes highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection among two indoor cats living in homes of dairy workers.

Beginning the week of February 24, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), working with state government and indust

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania has become the first major dairy producing state to achieve HPAI-free status from the USDA for its milk supply. The milestone comes after a multidisciplinary push to begin bulk testing for the virus. HPAI stands for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or as its more commonly called: bird flu. The status […]

Acidification could become an important tool in preventing the spread of H5N1, which has found its way into dairy cattle.

A sample of milk from a herd of dairy cows in Maricopa County has tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza, or bird flu, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Bird flu was recently detected in milk produced by an Arizona dairy herd for the first time, officials announced Friday.

The outbreak of H5N1 among dairy cows was thought to be the result of one spillover, but scientists have recently found additional instances.