New bird flu variant in cattle adds to concerns about federal response under Trump

The strain of bird flu is distinct from what has previously been found in dairy cattle. The finding raises some worrying questions — and concerns over the Trump administration's muted response.

ReadArchived

The variant, known as D1.1 genotype, belongs to a different genetic lineage than what's fueled the infections in dairy cattle over the past year.

Scientists believe a single spillover event, from birds to cattle, in the Texas Panhandle in late 2023 seeded the current nationwide outbreak. But this new finding points to at least one additional instance of the virus hopping into dairy cattle.

"It shows that even if you get rid of one virus that's established itself, another one can pop up like whack-a-mole," says Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona.

Discovery Of 12 Dead Geese Prompts Park Closure, Bird Flu Concerns In Westchester

The U.S. has seen 61 confirmed human cases to date.

ReadArchived

"Unfortunately, there are a growing number of Avian Flu cases across the state and beyond. All of us need to be aware of the potential health risks posed to humans and be sure to report but not go near a dead bird as the chances are high that it will be infected,"

Waffle House is passing along the sky high cost of eggs to diners with a 50 cent surcharge

The Waffle House restaurant chain is putting a 50 cent per egg surcharge in place temporarily due to the biggest bird flu outbreak in a decade.

Bird flu, General news, GA State Wire, Trending News, Business, Agriculture, U.S. news, Hospitality and leisure industry, U.S. NewsReadArchived

Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight with Easter approaching.

The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20% this year.

Health Advisory: Accelerated Subtyping of Influenza A in Hospitalized Patient

CDC is now recommending ordering subtyping for all influenza A-positive specimens collected from hospitalized individuals within 24 hours of hospital admission to help rapidly detect any human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1).

On the frontline against bird flu, egg farmers fear they're losing the battle

The tools the US used to contain previous bird flu outbreaks just aren't working this time, according to some agricultural experts. Some egg farmers have called for vaccinations for poultry.

ReadArchived

[...] egg farms have had to invest millions of dollars into biosecurity. Employees shower in and shower out, before they start working and after their shifts ends to prevent spreading the virus.

But none of that has been enough to contain the outbreak that started three years ago.

Several hundred ducks found dead from suspected bird flu along Lake Michigan

The largest concentrations of sick mergansers were found Saturday at North Avenue Beach and Oak Street Beach. Other birds with symptoms were reported from Hyde Park to Wilmette between Friday and Sunday.

NewsReadArchived

Hundreds of red-breasted mergansers have been found either dead or sick over the past few days along Lake Michigan in Chicago and into the northern suburbs.

Officials suspect that highly contagious bird flu is the cause of the illnesses found in the mergansers, a species of diving duck that winters in the Great Lakes region.

Trump Administration’s Halt of CDC’s Weekly Scientific Report Stalls Bird Flu Studies

An unprecedented freeze on the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report sparks new concerns about political meddling in science.

ReadArchived

One of the studies would reveal whether veterinarians who treat cattle have been unknowingly infected by the bird flu virus. Another report documents cases in which people carrying the virus might have infected their pet cats.
[...]
“It would be the equivalent of finding out that your local fire department has been told not to sound any fire alarms,”

In addition to publishing studies, the MMWR keeps the country updated on outbreaks, poisonings, and maternal mortality, and provides surveillance data on cancer, heart disease, HIV, and other maladies. Delaying or manipulating the reports could harm Americans by stunting the ability of the U.S. government to detect and curb health threats, Frieden said.

Bird flu now ‘widespread' in Massachusetts, officials warn

State environmental and health officials said Wednesday that bird flu is suspected to be the cause of death in cases of both wild and domestic birds in several…

Health, MassachusettsReadArchived

State officials said they have seen recurring incidents of bird flu since early 2022, but this month, a bird flu outbreak is suspected of causing the death of dozens of Canada geese, swans and other birds at Plymouth's Billington Sea.

Why scientists' fears about bird flu are intensifying

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is spreading among livestock and other mammals in the United States, raising concerns that another pandemic may be looming. Last month, California declared a state of emergency due to rising cases in dairy cattle, and there have been over 65 human cases in the U.S. during this outbreak. While cases have been largely mild and risk to the public is still considered low, scientists warn it could evolve and become more dangerous.

Curious about other health updates? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

ReadArchived

Latest Developments on Avian Flu Virus in Dairy Cattle

To date, 929 dairy herds in 16 states have been found to be carrying Highly-Pathological Avian Influenza (HPAI), a virus originally found in wild birds and usually associated with turkey and poultry flocks. There have been 48 confirmed cases in the past 30 days, all of them concentrated in California and Michigan.

Successful FarmingReadArchived

Biden administration allocates $306m in its final days for bird flu response

‘Critical’ funding comes as H5N1 outbreak intensifies and will go toward developing a response to the virus

Biden administration, Bird flu, US news, Health, SocietyReadArchived

As the outbreak intensifies, the US should continue investing in pandemic response like wastewater monitoring, vaccine manufacturing and distribution, rapid test development and other pressing needs to curtail the outbreak, experts say.

But it’s not clear whether the incoming Trump administration will continue such work.

How Worried to Be About Bird Flu

A conversation with Katherine J. Wu about the spread of the virus so far

, newsletters, NewslettersReadArchived

At this point, I would upgrade it to “medium-plus.” I don’t think I will upgrade to “high” unless we start to see strong evidence of human-to-human transmission. I am not ruling out that possibility, but we aren’t there yet.