H5N1 Concerns Virologists

The ongoing spread of bird flu across the nations poultry and dairy herds poses a concern beyond those species.

The jump from birds to dairy cattle shows the virus can mutate in ways that increases its spread to new species.

Dr. Gerald Parker, Texas A&M: “Thirty to 50 mammalian species have been infected now with this bird flu, when historically it has been primarily only in birds. And then what really elevated its concern in the last six months is it was detected in dairy cattle in the Panhandle of Texas.”

Bird flu has been detected in dairy cattle in 14 states, affecting over 200 herds. There have been 15 confirmed cases in humans. All but one of the human cases had direct contact with infected dairy herds.

The crossing of H5N1 to mammals is concerning to virologists, as the potential for the virus becoming endemic in both poultry and dairy has increased. A stable version of the virus could pass back to wild birds, increasing the spread to unaffected animals.    

Dr. Gerald Parker, Texas A&M: “ In this current situation with H5N1, bird flu, that’s now in dairy cattle, we have to make sure that our public health authorities, our animal health authorities and our industry, dairy industry, are working very close together at all levels, from the national, state, local level, and we have to work with our international partners, too.”

For Market to Market, I’m Peter Tubbs