Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has been detected in dairy cows in multiple states and has infected one person in Texas. This article provides information on the transmission, symptoms, and food risks associated with bird flu.
Avian influenza, aka bird flu , has spread to dairy cows in multiple states and one person in Texas . What to know about transmission, symptoms and food risks .Earlier this month, a dairy worker in Texas tested positive for bird flu , aka avian influenza, amid an outbreak of the virus among dairy cattle.according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe multi-state bird flu outbreak is affecting cows in over a dozen dairy farms across the country.
"More recently, we have seen an increase of infections in cattle," Dr. Hilary M. Babcock, infectious disease specialist at Washington University of St. Louis and BJC Healthcare, tells TODAY.com. The risk to the general public in the U.S. is low, the experts say. For people exposed due to their line of work, the risk is considered “low-to-moderate,” the "Every once in a while, a bird flu virus can get into a human, but that's rare," says Schaffner. Avian influenza viruses can spread from infected birds to humans in a few ways, Through an intermediate host, such as an animal
It is not immediately clear how the dairy cow infected the person in Texas, the experts note. The only other person who contracted H5N1 in the U.S. was directly involved in the culling of birds presumed to be infected with H5N1, says Babcock. “This strain of bird flu has been around for about a decade and it still has not picked up this capacity to spread readily from person to person, thankfully. ... That should be a matter of reassurance, but also keep us in public health on alert,” says Schaffner.There is no evidence that people can get bird flu from food that’s been properly prepared and cooked, and it is safe to eat eggs, chicken and beef, and drink pasteurized milk, the experts say.
Drinking unpasteurized or"raw" milk, which is increasingly trendy, is associated with various infectious disease hazards, says Schaffner."I discourage people from drinking raw milk,” he adds.It's possible for products from infected animals to end up in the food supply, says Babcock, but the risk to humans is still very low. Properly storing and cooking food further reduces that risk.
Avian Influenza Bird Flu Dairy Cows Texas Transmission Symptoms Food Risks
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