Dairy Cows and Bird Flu: New Virus Variant

Health officials in the U. S. have discovered a new strain of bird flu in Nevada dairy farms. Experts now think the virus might have spread between wild birds and cattle more often than previously believed. This new strain of the H5N1 virus, known as D1. 1, was picked up in a milk sample from the surveillance program. This D1. 1 strain was identified in the cattle originally tracked back to wild birds in 2023 in the U. S. This current strain of bird flu has also been noted as a severe flu among domestic birds in Canada. Richard Webby, a flu expert from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stated The virus crossing from birds to cows was once thought to be uncommon, but may not be the case. The B3. 13 variant of bird flu, which infected cattle back in late 2023, has affected nearly 953 herds in 16 different U. S. states. The D1. 1 strain of this virus has been the cause of 1 person's death in the U. S. and a severe flu in Canada. Scientist Angela Rasmussen, from the University of Saskatchewan, who initially identified the virus from the cattle, spoke on the issue. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 67 people being infected with bird flu, and most of them were in contact with dairy or cattle. USDA (The U. S. Department of Agriculture) officials have stated that information about the genetic sequences and new virus forms will be added to a public database this week. This will help confirm whether the new strain of D1. 1 had been in the cattle since a long time or if it was recent, allowing for a better understanding of the virus's spread. Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, who has studied H5N1 in cattle, mentioned the importance of this data for monitoring the virus which could have the possibility to trigger a pandemic worse than COVID. Worobey proceeded to note that this is crucial for our national security as well as our global security. It will help us to maintain the well-being of our people, in addition to animals and businesses in the U. S.