New developments in bird flu in cows in the USA

At the end of March, news broke about the detection of the bird flu virus in cows and, soon after, its transmission to a human being. Recapping what we said previously here, about how bird flu started and what we knew until then:

• Cows in the United States (USA) faced a mysterious disease that caused a drop in production.

• On March 25, the source of the disease was confirmed to be a strain of the avian influenza virus, marking the first occurrence of avian influenza in dairy cattle.

• The virus was detected in multiple herds in different US states.

• A worker who had direct contact with dairy cattle tested positive for avian influenza, becoming the second person to contract avian influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And now, what is the new information?

In a statement released on Tuesday (23/4), regarding the outbreak of avian influenza in cattle, the government agency that regulates the US food and pharmaceutical sector, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), confirmed the detection of avian influenza virus particles in milk samples in supermarkets.

The FDA believes the particles, which were detected by highly sensitive laboratory tests, are remnants of viruses killed during the pasteurization process. The agency considers It is unlikely that these particles can infect peoplebut said it was conducting additional tests to be completely sure.

Despite these findings, the agency reported that the commercial supply of milk remains safe because the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses by heating the milk to a specific temperature.

To help prevent the spread of the virus, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ordering all dairy cattle to be tested before interstate transportation. Last week, the USDA stated that the Cow-to-cow transmission is a factor in the spread of bird flu in dairy herds, but it is not yet known exactly how the virus is being spread.

Wild migratory birds are believed to be the original source of the virus. But the USDA said its investigation into cow infections “includes some cases in which the spread of the virus was associated with movements of cows between herds.”

In addition to testing for transport, owners of herds authorized for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracking. The USDA is also requiring state laboratories and veterinary offices to begin mandatory reporting of diagnostic results.

The USDA says the next guidance has yet to be released, but these measures will be immediately required for lactating cows.

In Brazil, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) remains vigilant to cases, currently restricted to birds, especially wild ones. Of a total of 2,942 cases under investigation, three remain ongoing, while 163 have been confirmed positive. Of these confirmed occurrences, 160 affect wild birds, 3 involve subsistence birds (eventually intended for consumption by the producer himself), and none concern commercially farmed birds.

Source:
Dairy Herd

Reuters

FDA

Aphis-USDA

CNN

MAP