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Canadian Teen Hospitalized in Critical Condition With Bird Flu

Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in American dairy herds and poultry flocks, Canadian officials have announced that a teen in British Columbia has been hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu.

It’s not clear how the teenager picked up the H5N1 virus because the patient is not known to have any contact with infected animals, officials noted. They a...

Bird Flu Is Decimating Elephant Seal Colonies

The H5N1 strain of avian flu is now passing easily among South America's elephant seals and drastically cutting herd populations, a new report finds.

"It is likely that more than half of the reproductive population died due to the virus. It will take decades before the numbers are back to the 2022 population size," said Vale...

Bird Flu Infects 1 in 14 Dairy Workers Exposed; CDC Urges Better Protections

About 7% of dairy workers exposed to the avian flu that is spreading through U.S. herds have become infected themselves, federal experts estimate.

That number highlights concerns that circulating strains of bird flu might become highly infectious in humans, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The findings support the need for ac...

Bird Flu Infection Confirmed in a Pig for First Time in U.S.

Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in poultry and dairy cows in the United States, a case of H5N1 has now been confirmed for the first time in a pig.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] and Oregon state veterinary officials are investigating positive cases of H5N1 in a backyard farming operation in Oregon that has a mix of poultry and livestock, including swine," the USDA sa...

CDC Confirms Second Human Bird Flu Case in Missouri With No Known Exposure to Farm Animals

A second person in Missouri who wasn't exposed to either poultry or dairy cows has been infected with bird flu, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

This person shared a home with a patient who was first hospitalized with bird flu in August, but antibody tests have since shown that symptomatic health care workers who cared for the patient were not infected with the H5N1 virus, the U....

Washington Becomes 6th State to Report Bird Flu in Humans

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2024 (HealthDayNews) -- Four farm workers who helped cull poultry on an commercial egg farm in Washington are presumed to have been infected with bird flu, making that state the sixth in the country to report human H5N1 infections this year.

"These are the first presumed human cases of H5 virus under investigation in Washington state," the state department of health said...

California Reports Two Cases of Bird Flu in Dairy Workers, a First for the State

As an outbreak of bird flu among dairy cows continues to spread in the United States, two more cases have been reported in dairy workers, this time in California.

These are the first human cases of bird flu reported in that state and the 15th and 16th human cases detected in the country this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

"The identification...

Cluster of 8 Possible Human Bird Flu Cases Now Reported in Missouri

In what could be the first cases of bird flu spreading between humans in the United States, a group of potential H5N1 infections in Missouri has now grown to eight.

Antibody tests to confirm any H5N1 infection are still pending.

After a patient with bird flu was hospitalized last month, state and federal health officials first determined the patient may have infected one household m...

Second Health Care Worker Linked to Missouri Bird Flu Case Also Had Symptoms: CDC

Another health care worker who was exposed to a Missouri patient who tested positive for bird flu developed respiratory symptoms but wasn't tested for the flu, U.S. health officials reported Friday.

The news is rekindling worries of person-to-person transmission of the H5N1 bird flu strain.

The week before, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a differe...

U.S. Wastewater Tests Show Bird Flu Virus Limited to Areas With Farm Animals

An extensive look at wastewater samples taken across the United States from May to July found traces of the H5N1 bird flu popping up -- but only in areas populated by farm animals.

The avian flu virus has been widespread in U.S. poultry as well as herds of dairy cows, raising alarms that the virus might somehow mutate and spread between people.

The wastewater testing performed betwe...

Missouri Bird Flu Case Raises Possibility of Human Transmission

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 (Healthday News) -- In a disclosure that can't eliminate the possibility that bird flu may have spread from one human to another for the first time, U.S. health officials have reported that a person who lived with a Missouri resident infected with H5N1 became sick the same day.

That close contact "was also ill at the same time, was not tested, and has since recovere...

Source of Missouri Bird Flu Case Still Unknown, Could Be a 'One-Off': CDC

In a case that continues to confound scientists, U.S. health officials said Thursday that they still don't know how a Missouri patient caught the bird flu and that the case may just be a rare anomaly.

As bird flu continues to spread through dairy cow herds and poultry flocks, the

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 13, 2024
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    • Missouri Patient Hospitalized With Bird Flu Had No Known Contact With Animals

    A case of bird flu has been confirmed in a Missouri resident who had no known contact with dairy cows, poultry or wild birds, U.S. health officials report.

    "The patient, who was hospitalized, had underlying medical conditions, was treated with influenza antiviral medications, subsequently discharged and has recovered," the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said in a

    Stopping a Bird Flu Epidemic: What Experts Say Must Be Done

    The time is now to prepare for a potential pandemic involving the H5N1 bird flu, says a group of international vaccine and public health experts.

    Avian influenza vaccines need to developed, stockpiled and even delivered to people at highest risk of contracting the bird flu, the experts argue in an ...

    First Cluster of Cases of Human Bird Flu Detected at Colorado Poultry Facilities

    THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- The first known U.S. cluster of cases of bird flu in humans has been recorded at two poultry facilities in Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday.

    The nine infected workers experienced mild symptoms only, and all were infected through close contact with sickened poultry, not person-to-person, the CDC said...

    Worried About Bird Flu or Salmonella? Your Cooking Thermometer Could Be Life Saver

    Folks worried about bird flu, salmonella and other foodborne illnesses have a simple solution at hand – simply use a cooking thermometer to make sure food is well-cooked.

    But only about 1 in 4 Americans (27%) use one either “often” or “all the time” to check whether meat, poultry or fish has reached a temperature that makes it safe to eat, a new health surve...

    Bird Flu Is Now Transmitting Mammal-to-Mammal: Study

    The bird flu is now jumping between species of mammals, a step that draws the virus closer to hopping into human beings, a new study warns.

    Researchers have tracked transmission of avian influenza between dairy cows in herds, as well as from cows to cats and a raccoon.

    “This is one of t...

    Two More Bird Flu Cases Reported in Colorado Poultry Workers

    Two more cases of bird flu have been reported in Colorado poultry workers, but reassuring research finds the virus doesn't seem to be fueling silent infections, U.S. health officials report.

    The two additional H5N1 avian flu infections bring the total in that state to six, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 22, 2024
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    • Five Cases of Bird Flu Reported in Colorado Poultry Workers

    Five poultry workers in Colorado have been diagnosed with bird flu, state health officials reported Sunday.

    "In coordination with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the State Emergency Operations Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment [CDPHE] is now reporting a total of five human cases of avian influenza in wor...

    Less Than Half of American Adults Know Dangers of Raw Milk

    Few Americans understand the health risks of drinking raw milk, a new survey shows, so experts are redoubling efforts to get the word out on its dangers.

    The push dovetails with the discovery this spring of bird flu virus in milk from infected cows. The H5N1 virus is widespread in wild birds worldwide and causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows. As of June 21, four human cases of...

    Raw Milk Exposure a Real Bird Flu Risk for Humans, but Fast Spread Unlikely

    While exposure to raw cow's milk infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus can make you sick, a new study suggests the virus may not spread quickly to other people.

    Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that mice and ferrets got sick with influenza when H5N1 bird flu virus was...

    Fourth Dairy Worker Infected With Bird Flu, but CDC Says Public Risk Still Low

    Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, a fourth case of H5N1 avian flu has been confirmed in another dairy worker, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday.

    The latest case was reported in Colorado, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a news release.

    "As with previous cases, the person is a worker on a dairy farm where cows tested positive ...

    U.S. Government to Pay Moderna $176 Million to Develop mRNA Flu Vaccine

    U.S. health officials announced Tuesday that the federal government will pay Moderna $176 million to speed development of a pandemic flu vaccine based on mRNA technology.

    Such a vaccine could be used to treat bird flu in people, as concern grows about H5N1 cases spreading in dairy cows across the country, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) noted.

    "We ha...

    FDA Study Shows Pasteurization Kills Bird Flu in Milk

    As bird flu continues to spread among U.S. dairy cows, reassuring new government research finds the pasteurization process widely used in the industry effectively kills all bird flu virus in milk.

    In a health update posted Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administr...

    Bird Flu Virus Stays Active on Cow Milking Equipment for at Least One Hour

    The spread of H5N1 avian flu to dairy cows has health experts and many Americans on edge, and now a new study finds the virus stays viable on milking equipment for at least an hour.

    "Dairy cows have to be milked even if they are sick, and it has not been clear for how long the virus contained in residual milk from the milking process remains stable on the equipment,"said study lead author...

    Simple Paper-Strip Test Might Spot Flu, and Which Type You Have

    A simple and inexpensive paper strip test could help diagnose a case of the flu, and even identify the influenza strain that caused it, a new study finds.

    The test can distinguish between influenza A and B -- the two main types of seasonal flu -- as well as identifying more virulent strains like H1...

    With Bird Flu a Threat, FDA Asks Some States to Curb Sales of Raw Milk

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday asked states to work harder to protect the public from the risks of raw milk as a bird flu outbreak continues to spread among dairy cows.

    In an open letter to state and local officials, the agency urged more testing of herds that produce raw milk for sale and reco...

    Patient in Mexico Dies From First Known Human Infection of H5N2 Strain of Bird Flu

    A 59-year-old person in Mexico is the first human in the world known to be infected with the H5N2 strain of avian flu, and the patient died of complications linked to the illness, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday.

    H5N1 and H5N2 strains of avian flu have long circulated among birds, and H5N...

    Long COVID's Toll Outlined in New Report

    Long COVID continues to plague millions of Americans as the health costs of the pandemic linger four years later, a new report warns.

    In a hefty document released Wednesday, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, a nong...

    U.S. Will Make Millions of Bird Flu Vaccines This Summer

    As the H5N1 avian flu continues to spread among dairy cows in the United States, nearly 5 million doses of flu vaccine are now being prepared for possible use in humans.

    Since the outbreak in livestock began this spring, bird flu has been confirmed in three humans who worked on dairy farms in Texas and Michigan and health experts are concerned the virus could mutate to the point where it ...

    CDC Reports Third Dairy Worker Infected With Bird Flu, Risk to Public Remains 'Low'

    Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, there's been a third case of H5N1 avian flu confirmed in a dairy worker, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

    The previous two human cases -- the first in Texas, the second in Michigan, where this latest case also occurred -- involved only a brief discomfort of the eyes, linked to conjunctivitis ("pink eye").

    However, this thir...

    Bird Flu Spotted in Alpacas for First Time

    Bird flu has been detected for the first time in alpacas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday.

    The animals that tested positive were on a farm in Idaho where poultry that had tested positive for the H5N1 virus were culled in May. The alpacas tested positive on May 16, the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) said in 

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • May 29, 2024
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    • Vaccines Will Be Best Defense Against Bird Flu, Experts Say

    Humanity's best protection against bird flu will be the development of effective vaccines, a new study says.

    The H5N1 avian flu has been raging through cattle and poultry in the United States, increasing fears that the virus will make the leap into humans and potentially cause another pandemic.

    ...

    Nations Fail to Agree on Treaty on Preventing Next Pandemic

    Following two years of tough negotiations, efforts to craft a global treaty to help countries fight future pandemics have failed, the World Health Organization has acknowledged.

    "WHO Member States have ended intensive negotiations aimed at strengthening global capacities to respond to future pandemics and outbreaks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and agreed to submit outcomes of the...

    Bird Flu Found in Beef Tissue; Officials Say It Did Not Enter Food Supply

    TUESDAY, May 28 -- Bird flu virus has been detected in beef tissue from a sick dairy cow, but U.S. health officials stressed the country's meat supply remains safe.

    In an update issued Friday, the U.S. Department of Agricultu...

    Scientists Developing mRNA-Based Vaccine Against H5N1 Bird Flu

    An experimental mRNA vaccine against the H5N1 avian flu is highly effective in preventing severe illness and death in lab animals, researchers report.

    The vaccine could help fight the H5N1 bird flu outbreaks now spreading in wild birds, poultry and cows in the United States, researchers said.

    In Experiments, Mice Got Ill From Raw Milk Carrying Bird Flu Virus

    Confirming the dangers of drinking raw cow's milk when the H5N1 avian flu virus is circulating in U.S. dairy herds, researchers found that mice fed the milk quickly got ill.

    "Our data indicate that HPAI A[H5N1] virus in untreated milk can infect susceptible animals that consume it," concluded a team led by virologist Yoshihiro Kawaok...

    CDC Reports Second Dairy Worker Infected With Bird Flu

    A second case of bird flu has been detected in another dairy worker, this time in Michigan, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday.

    The first case was reported in a dairy worker in Texas in early April.

    Officials said the Michigan individual, who only experienced mild...

    Avian Flu Virus Showing Up in NYC Wild Birds

    The H5N1 avian flu virus has been discovered in a small number of wild birds in New York City.

    The highly infectious and severe virus was detected in fecal samples in six New York City birds representing four different species, according to a report published May 15 in the Journal of Virology.

    Bird flu is now w...

    Feds Announce New Measures to Monitor, Prevent Bird Flu

    H5N1 avian flu is now infecting U.S. dairy cows and the federal government on Friday announced a myriad of initiatives aimed at preventing the virus' mutation and spread in humans.

    The illness is typically not fatal in bovines, but monitoring and prevention on the nation's farms is costly, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the aid will make it cheaper and easier for farmers to d...

    Doctors Describe Texas Dairy Farm Worker's Case of Bird Flu

    Doctors in Texas are describing the only known human case of H5N1 avian flu connected to the ongoing outbreak of the disease in dairy cows. 

    Bird flu in humans remains extremely rare, but in the hundreds of cases documented worldwide over the past few years, about half proved fatal -- upping scientists' concerns about the possibility that an easily transmitted human bird flu might on...

    No Sign of Bird Flu in Ground Beef, USDA Says

    After investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that the nation's ground beef supply is so far testing negative for the presence of H5N1 avian flu.

    In a statement, the agency said that its Food Safety and Inspection Service ...

    Avoid Raw Milk to Cut Risk of Bird Flu, Officials Urge

    People drinking raw unpasteurized milk are at risk for potentially contracting bird flu, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday.

    "We continue to strongly advise against the consumption of raw milk,"Dr. Donald Prater, acting director of the FDA's Center for Food ...

    More Than Half of Cats on Farm Where Bird Flu Infected Cows Died After Drinking Milk

    In yet another sign that bird flu is spreading widely among mammals, a new report finds more than half of cats at the first Texas dairy farm to have cows test positive for bird flu this spring died after drinking raw milk.

    Published Tuesday in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the report details the earl...

    USDA Testing Beef Amid Bird Flu Outbreak in Dairy Cows

    As bird flu continues to spread among dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it is now testing ground beef for any presence of the virus.

    The agency said it is sampling ground beef bought in grocery stores in states where dairy cattle have tested positive for the virus, also known as H5N1, CNN reported. Officials are also testing samples of muscle tissue from ...

    Florida Dolphin Found Infected With Bird Flu

    H5N1 avian "bird" flu is making headlines this week, with new reports finding inactive virus detected in 1 in 5 U.S. milk samples.

    That means the virus is infecting mammals such as dairy cows, and now researchers report it's turned up in a bottlenos...

    FDA Says First Round of Tests Show No Live Virus in Pasteurized Milk

    Live bird flu virus has not been found in any of the first batch of retail milk samples tested, federal health officials said Friday.

    Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in U.S. dairy cows, the early findings should reassure the public that the milk sold in stores remains safe, officials added.

    In the

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • April 29, 2024
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    • Fragments of Bird Flu Virus Found in 1 in 5 Milk Samples

    Bits of bird flu virus have been discovered in roughly 20% of retail milk samples tested in a national survey, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

    The finding suggests that bird flu has spread far more widely among dairy cows than officials first thou...

    Dairy Cows Moved Across State Lines Must Now Be Tested for Bird Flu

    As bird flu continues to spread among dairy cows in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it will start requiring testing of the animals if they are moved across state lines.

    The "USDA has identified [bird flu] spread between cows within the same herd, spread from cows to poultry, spread between dairies associated with cattle movements and cows without clin...

    Fragments of Bird Flu Virus Found in U.S. Milk Supply

    Bits of inactive bird flu virus have been discovered in samples of pasteurized milk from across the United States, health officials said Tuesday, although they stressed the viral fragments don't threaten humans.

    However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did note that testing suggests that bird flu has likely infected far more dairy cows than officials realized.

    Still, "to date,...