Pathogens and their impacts

[Rodius]

@ neal   ... i didn't read anywhere that the milk from affected cows needed to be dumped  .......

surely they won't put that milk into the human food chain

And reduce profits??

[kiwichick16]

silly me !!!

[kassy]

"Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the food supply,"

It´s in the article...

[Bruce Steele]

Mysterious flu like symptoms turns out to be the flu. Goats in one state and dairy cows in three other states. Ten percent of affected dairy herds infected. So on the dairy farms where H5N1 has been detected potentially hundreds of cows may be ill, dairy herds being very large in the Midwest.
Small farms don’t have many dairy cows anymore but those that do have a cow for home use should be extra vigilant and think twice about slopping the pigs with fresh milk or drinking raw milk themselves.
I would think extra attention should be paid to pigs but from a small farmers perspective any fevered pig I see immediately gets a penicillin shot because Suis Strep starts as a fever then quickly gets horrendously worse without a very fast antibiotic response. Almost all veterinary work is very expensive especially at night, on weekends , and all the inconvenient times animals do get sick. So we small farmers are also junior vets and largely on our own with day to day health issues of our herds. Zoonotic disease included.
 
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Featured snippet from the web
Dairy producers look for positives in 2024 - AgriLife Today
The average herd size in East Texas is about 1,000 cows, and in Central Texas, herds are typically in the 1,500 to 2,000 cow range. In the High Plains, dairy herds average 5,000 cows or more. Most Texas dairy cows are in the Panhandle and account for more than 75% of the state's milk production.

[Rodius]

"Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the food supply,"

It´s in the article...

That is true, but what is the definition of not healthy?

I don't know, but I suspect it isn't at the level we would want it, especially when the pasteurisation process kills bacteria and viruses..... so, at a guess, once it is pasteurised it is deemed healthy unless the unhealthy parts cant be removed during processing.

I am too scared to look it up because I suspect it wont be good information to know while still drinking milk from that point onward.

I have stopped eating too many foods already because I learned how it is made.

[Ranman99]

Yes, we are animals. When the situation calls for it, the survival instinct is the base of the machine, and we drink and eat what we need to survive, or the body goes gracefully. The rest has been whatever you want to call it: human innovation, made-up, luxury, imagination, or exuberance. It can / will one day all disappear, and we will be back to a lot of grunting and hunting-gathering.

I'm just wondering if things get so bad that some psycho will just pull a trigger, and we are blown out of existence instead of going back to the Stone Age. It seems to me we have set up too many traps to survive a complete societal breakdown one day.

I'm not saying we don't continue to try to do better. I'm just sayin'

[kiwichick16]

whats the incubation period  ?  ......how long is it between infection and someone noticing the animals are being  "impacted "

often inexperienced staff will miss the signs of an animal is exhibiting a health issue , mastitis in dairy cows being a common problem that even experienced staff can miss ......while the infection can be spread to other cows in the herd while it goes undetected

[SteveMDFP]

whats the incubation period  ?  ......how long is it between infection and someone noticing the animals are being  "impacted "

often inexperienced staff will miss the signs of an animal is exhibiting a health issue , mastitis in dairy cows being a common problem that even experienced staff can miss ......while the infection can be spread to other cows in the herd while it goes undetected

Bird-to-mammal spread has certainly been observed with H5N1 - with lethal outcomes to humans.  As far as I'm aware, no mammal-to-mammal spread has been observed.  If we start to see reports of such, then there could be good cause for real worry.  Viruses certainly can become adapted to new species of host, and if H5N1 achieves the ability to spread human-to-human, the result could be quite catastrophic.  I'm not actively worried about this, but keeping aware of developments may be prudent.

I'm also not worried about pasteurized milk products.  Pasteurization should reliably kill H5N1.  It's *possible* that contaminated-but-pasteurized milk might act as an orally administered killed vaccine.  Who knows.

[neal]

I'm also not worried about pasteurized milk products.  Pasteurization should reliably kill H5N1.  It's *possible* that contaminated-but-pasteurized milk might act as an orally administered killed vaccine.  Who knows.

Pasteurization works, but hey, have you heard about the "raw milk" trend?

Raw milk is growing in legality, but some experts worry about the safety risks associated with the unpasteurized product.

State legislation around the sale of raw milk is slowly changing, with 27 states allowing people to sell raw milk directly to consumers.1 There are a variety of ways raw milk can legally be distributed—retail options, from farm to consumer, or through herd shares.

All of these distribution methods come with certain legislation that must be followed, largely to protect the buyer. As market demands continue to grow, many experts expect more states to expand legislation surrounding the sale of raw milk.2

According to a 2022 consumer report, almost 5% of U.S. adults consumed raw milk at least once in the past year.3

Some consumers claim that milk in its raw form can offer more health benefits than its pasteurized counterpart. But opting for unpasteurized milk doesn’t come without risk, and according to nutrition experts, drinking this type of milk may even be deadly in certain cases.1

https://www.health.com/raw-milk-safe-drink-7561712



Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Linked to Unpasteurized Milk and Relationship to Changes in State Laws – United States, 1998–2018

The newest study reports the number of outbreaks and outbreak-associated illnesses linked to raw milk over time. The article also compares those numbers in states where the sale of raw milk is legal to states where it is prohibited.

The study found that the number of outbreaks linked to raw milk has increased over time.

From 1998 through 2018, 202 outbreaks occurred because of drinking raw milk. These outbreaks caused 2,645 illnesses and 228 hospitalizations.

Among illnesses linked to unpasteurized milk that occurred from 2013 through 2018, 48% (325) were among people aged 0–19 years.

Areas where raw milk was legally sold had 3.2 times more outbreaks than areas where the sale of raw milk was illegal. Areas where raw milk was allowed to be sold in retail stores had 3.6 times more outbreaks than areas where sale was allowed only on farms.

The study shows laws that increase the availability of raw milk are associated with more illnesses and outbreaks.

https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/rawmilk-outbreaks.html



Raw milk drunk by a significant population.  Is it an inconceivable route of virus adaption into the human population?

just Google "raw milk near me", you might be surprised

[SteveMDFP]

I'm also not worried about pasteurized milk products.  Pasteurization should reliably kill H5N1.  It's *possible* that contaminated-but-pasteurized milk might act as an orally administered killed vaccine.  Who knows.

Raw milk drunk by a significant population.  Is it an inconceivable route of virus adaption into the human population?

Humanity has a long history of illnesses contracted from unpasteurized milk.  H5N1 is not a worrisome one, yet.  TB, Listeria, and other bugs get transmitted this way.  Drinking raw milk is simply a stupid trend.  I pointed this out to Neven when he said he was switching to raw milk quite some time ago. 

Pasteurization can denature some proteins, and possibly reduce activity of some vitamins, but these effects are trivial in comparison to what happens when milk hits normal stomach acid.

[neal]

Humanity has a long history of illnesses contracted from unpasteurized milk.  H5N1 is not a worrisome one, yet. 

my emphasis

The problem with raw milk producers and consumers, they are part of the anti-science "rebel" movement where, if they did it in the old days, it must have been better.  "Becuz everyone was healthier and happier."

As part of that anti-science movement, they are resistant to monitoring of quality by outside institutions and, most worrisome, the raw milk is seen as tonic to people who are already ailing.

As a high-buck unmonitored product, there is huge pressure to produce the product day after day,  because, after all, it's income. 

And all the raw-milk producers have their cows out in nature exposed to birds with limited medical intervention for the cows.

[neal]

Q: What have you learned from your study that is looking for infections in farmers and their cattle?

A: We’ve been funded now for about 8 months. Initially, we thought we would be able to work with many farms in Texas, because they’re concerned about keeping their animals free from disease. But there’s been a real resistance to collaborating with us. There’s concern that we might find something that would damage their business. Well, now they have something that’s damaging to their business. And we’re standing by ready to assist in a way that would help us identify the transmission pathway. Is a viable virus aerosolized? Is it coming out in the feces? Or is it simply a respiratory pathogen that is moving through direct contact from cattle to cattle? I would think that there’s some indication with this rapid multistate spread that this thing is airborne.

https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-discovered-u-s-dairy-cows-disturbing

[Bruce Steele]

I wanted to post this very detailed story about fresh hot milk, chocolate , coffee, and pure cane alcohol .
This is both sides of the border ! Kiwi chick might enjoy some of the pictures.
https://www.accesslakechapala.com/2015/07/01/el-pajarete-a-traditional-mexican-morning-drink/#:~:text=El%20Pajarete%20is%20a%20party,chocolate%2C%20sugar%20and%20instant%20coffee.

[SteveMDFP]

I wanted to post this very detailed story about fresh hot milk, chocolate , coffee, and pure cane alcohol .
This is both sides of the border ! Kiwi chick might enjoy some of the pictures.
https://www.accesslakechapala.com/2015/07/01/el-pajarete-a-traditional-mexican-morning-drink/#:~:text=El%20Pajarete%20is%20a%20party,chocolate%2C%20sugar%20and%20instant%20coffee.

As pointed out in the article, the alcohol in this particular beverage will almost certainly kill any pathogens.  Probably perfectly safe, except for the effects of the alcohol on the humans.  Sounds lovely, except I can't really imagine drinking this on a Sunday morning.  ;-)

[Rodius]

I wanted to post this very detailed story about fresh hot milk, chocolate , coffee, and pure cane alcohol .
This is both sides of the border ! Kiwi chick might enjoy some of the pictures.
https://www.accesslakechapala.com/2015/07/01/el-pajarete-a-traditional-mexican-morning-drink/#:~:text=El%20Pajarete%20is%20a%20party,chocolate%2C%20sugar%20and%20instant%20coffee.

As pointed out in the article, the alcohol in this particular beverage will almost certainly kill any pathogens.  Probably perfectly safe, except for the effects of the alcohol on the humans.  Sounds lovely, except I can't really imagine drinking this on a Sunday morning.  ;-)

How much alcohol is required to kill all viruses that potentially live in raw milk?

[etienne]

I wanted to post this very detailed story about fresh hot milk, chocolate , coffee, and pure cane alcohol .
This is both sides of the border ! Kiwi chick might enjoy some of the pictures.
https://www.accesslakechapala.com/2015/07/01/el-pajarete-a-traditional-mexican-morning-drink/#:~:text=El%20Pajarete%20is%20a%20party,chocolate%2C%20sugar%20and%20instant%20coffee.

As pointed out in the article, the alcohol in this particular beverage will almost certainly kill any pathogens.  Probably perfectly safe, except for the effects of the alcohol on the humans.  Sounds lovely, except I can't really imagine drinking this on a Sunday morning.  ;-)

How much alcohol is required to kill all viruses that potentially live in raw milk?

Probably not enough to kill the drinker as well. Well I don't think that alcohol makes it safe. You have to hope that the farmer knows which cow is sick.

[SteveMDFP]

I may have over-estimated the virucidal capacity of ethanol.  A 50% cconcentration will kill hepatitis A virus (a relatively robust virus) in 10 minutes.  Make it strong, let it sit for a time, and the drink *may* be safe.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160521004657

[vox_mundi]

Or have 2 drinks (... or 3) ... na zdrowie

[neal]

HPAI Detection in Idaho Dairy Herd

Boise, Idaho – The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) identified today highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a Cassia County dairy cattle operation. 

These are the first cases of HPAI in a livestock operation in Idaho. The affected facility recently imported cattle from another state that has identified cases of HPAI in cattle, which suggests the virus may be transmitted from cow-to-cow, in addition to previous reports indicating cattle were acquiring the virus from infected birds. 

The primary concern with this diagnosis is on-farm production losses, as the disease has been associated with decreased milk production. 

Symptoms of HPAI in cattle include:

Drop in milk production
Loss of appetite
Changes in manure consistency
Thickened or colostrum-like milk
Low-grade fever
 
At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. The pasteurization process of heating milk to a high temperature ensures milk and dairy products can be consumed safely.

The ISDA encourages all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their local veterinarian immediately if cattle appear to show symptoms. HPAI is a mandatory reportable disease, and any Idaho veterinarians who suspect cases of HPAI in livestock should immediately report it to ISDA at 208-332-8540 or complete the HPAI Livestock Screen at agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/hpai/. 

It is recommended to enhance biosecurity measures across all livestock facilities in Idaho. Biosecurity practices can be found at agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/hpai/. 

For decades, Idaho has worked diligently to implement industry-driven programs that mitigate the transmission of diseases that cause on-farm economic losses. ISDA’s response to the detection of HPAI in cattle aligns with standard ISDA animal disease detection procedure.

This is an evolving situation, and additional updates will be provided by ISDA as they become available.

For more information visit agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/hpai/ or contact ISDA Animal Industries Division (208) 332-8540.

Media Inquiries
Sydney Kennedy
media@isda.idaho.gov
(208) 332-8507

Lots of raw-milk suppliers in Idaho. 

[neal]

all depending on pastuerization


Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Michigan Dairy Herd
March 29, 2024

Michigan herd is linked to the affected cattle in Texas; producers are strongly encouraged to contact their veterinarian about any animal health concern

LANSING, MI – Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring announced the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd from Montcalm County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed this detection.

Further testing and investigation by state and federal officials have revealed the source of infection. The farm recently received cattle from an affected premises in Texas before that herd showed any sign of disease. When the cattle were moved from Texas to Michigan, the cattle were not symptomatic and did not appear ill. As this national situation continues to develop, it is essential for all producers to contact their veterinarian if they have any concerns regarding the health of their animals, regardless of species.

"We have well-trained staff responding to this situation and I have the utmost confidence in our team. We will continue working with our local, state, and national partners to protect animal and public health," said Director Boring. "Our highest priorities at MDARD remain protecting our food supply and ensuring animal health. As this situation evolves, we will provide critical updates to producers, industry, and all Michiganders.”

“This case does reflect a lot of what is already known about this virus—namely, that it is highly contagious, it continues to be primarily spread by wild birds and contact with infected animals, and mammals can contract the virus,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM. “MDARD is working diligently and in close collaboration with government partners, producer groups, and Michigan dairy farmers to address the situation and prevent the spread of disease. As more is learned, it is vitally important for producers to work with their veterinarian and isolate sick animals from others, minimize the number of visitors to their farms, prevent contact between their animals and wildlife, and continue to vigilantly monitor the health of their animals.”

HPAI is a highly contagious virus that can be spread directly by infected wild birds/animals or indirectly through any item that has been exposed to the virus—such as equipment, feed, or the clothing and shoes of caretakers. The virus has been detected in various species of mammals—presumably after the animals come into contact with infected birds. To limit the spread of the disease, the affected premises voluntarily stopped movement.

Producers who have concerns about the health of their animals and/or questions regarding how to improve the measures they take to protect animal health on their farm should contact their veterinarian. Also, if cattle producers notice decreased lactation, low appetite, and/or other symptoms in their herds, please contact your veterinarian to determine the next appropriate steps to take.

Analysis of the virus from this case and the other cases of affected cattle has not shown any significant new adaptation to make the virus more transmissible between mammals. Therefore, the public health risk associated with HPAI remains low.

According to the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease and Prevention, the commercial milk supply remains safe due to both federal animal health requirements and pasteurization.

If anyone suspects the presence of HPAI or any other reportable animal disease in their domestic animals, please contact MDARD immediately at 800-292-3939 (daytime) or 517-373-0440 (after-hours).

For more information on the detections of HPAI in cattle, please visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2024/03/29/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-detected-in-michigan-dairy-herd

[SteveMDFP]

all depending on pastuerization


Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Michigan Dairy Herd
March 29, 2024

Michigan herd is linked to the affected cattle in Texas; producers are strongly encouraged to contact their veterinarian about any animal health concern

LANSING, MI – Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring announced the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd from Montcalm County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed this detection.

Were the Michigan cattle infected by drinking from water troughs that infected birds pooped in, or from the seemingly-healthy Texas cattle?  It's a critical question, because mammals are known to be infected from birds, but not clearly from other mammals.  Mammal-to-mammal spread would be a worrying development.  It would imply adaptation by this strain of H5N1 to infect and spread among mammalian species, potentially including H. sapiens.

If this were a human disease outbreak, a team of epidemiologists from the CDC's outbreak investigation service would fly in, test everything in sight, and ask a lot of relevant questions.  I don't think an animal disease outbreak garners such resources.  In this case, the precautionary principle would demand such resources.

[neal]

Guidence from the CDC issued late Friday with some added paragraphs on livestock and raw milk

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Animals: Interim Recommendations for Prevention, Monitoring, and Public Health Investigations

Summary
The purpose of this guidance is to outline CDC’s recommendations for preventing exposures to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses, infection prevention and control measures including the use of personal protective equipment, testing, antiviral treatment, patient investigations, monitoring of exposed persons, including persons exposed to sick or dead wild and domesticated animals and livestock with suspected or confirmed infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, and antiviral chemoprophylaxis of exposed persons. These recommendations are based on information available as of March 2024 and will be updated as needed when new information becomes available.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/hpai/hpai-interim-recommendations.html

========

...People should avoid unprotected (not using respiratory or eye protection) exposures to sick or dead animals including wild birds, poultry, other domesticated birds, and other wild or domesticated animals, as well as with animal feces, litter, or materials contaminated by birds or other animals with suspected or confirmed HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection. People should not prepare or eat uncooked or undercooked food or related uncooked food products, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk, or raw cheeses, from animals with suspected or confirmed HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection (avian influenza or bird flu)....

========

...To reduce the risk of HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection, poultry farmers and poultry workers, backyard bird flock owners, livestock farmers and workers, veterinarians and veterinary staff, and responders should avoid unprotected direct physical contact or close exposure with sick or dead birds or other animals, carcasses, feces, milk, or litter from sick birds or other animals potentially infected or confirmed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) virus. Farmers, workers, and responders should wear recommended PPE such as an N95 filtering facepiece respirator, eye protection, and gloves, and perform thorough hand washing after contact....

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...People exposed to HPAI A(H5N1)-infected birds or other animals (including people wearing recommended PPE) should be monitored for signs and symptoms of acute respiratory illness beginning after their first exposure and for 10 days after their last exposure.

Patients who meet Epidemiologic criteria AND either Clinical OR Public Health Response criteria below should be tested for HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using H5-specific primers and probes at your state or local public health department.

Epidemiological Criteria

Persons with recent exposure (within 10 days) to HPAI A(H5N1) virus through one of the following:

Exposure to HPAI A(H5N1) virus infected birds or other animals defined as follows:
Close exposure (within six feet) to birds or other animals, with confirmed avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. Bird or other animal exposures can include, but are not limited to handling, slaughtering, defeathering, butchering, culling, or preparing birds or other animals for consumption, or consuming uncooked or undercooked food or related uncooked food products, including unpasteurized (raw) milk,

OR

Direct contact with surfaces contaminated with feces, unpasteurized (raw) milk or other unpasteurized dairy products, or bird or animal parts (e.g., carcasses, internal organs) from infected birds or other animals,

OR

Visiting a live bird market with confirmed bird infections or associated with a case of human infection with HPAI A(H5N1) virus.

Exposure to an infected person – Close (within six feet) unprotected (without use of respiratory and eye protection) exposure to a person who is a confirmed, probable, or symptomatic suspected case of human infection with HPAI A(H5N1) virus (e.g., in a household or healthcare facility).

Laboratory exposure (unprotected exposure to HPAI A(H5N1) virus in a laboratory)

========

[neal]

And our old friend monkeypox or Mpox is back in the news with a more serious variant...

.."It's just a matter of time, if nothing is done, that the transmission crosses the border in the African region and, again, globally," says Dr. Jean Nachega, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Nachega is one of a number of public health experts expressing alarm over a major outbreak of mpox – formerly called monkeypox – in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They say the current situation represents a triple threat.

First, the DRC is seeing record numbers. About 400 suspect cases are reported each week – the majority in children. Second, the strain of the virus that's circulating is especially deadly, with up to 1 in every 10 people who get the virus dying. And third, the virus is behaving differently. Scientists say it is not only surfacing in new areas and new populations (including sex workers), but it's also spreading in new ways – including sexually – and evading diagnostic tests.

Together these issues have made it more urgent – and also more complicated – for the global health community to respond, say mpox specialists.

"For measles, we know what to do. For cholera, we know what to do. For polio, we know what to do. These are things that have been around for a long time. For mpox, a lot of the elements are new," says Dr. Rosamund Lewis, the World Health Organization's technical lead and emergency manager for mpox. "And we don't yet have all the countermeasures in place that we need in place."

Last year, the DRC recorded more than 14,500 suspected cases of mpox, and more than 650 deaths. Those figures dwarf previous years – and the numbers continue to rise. In the first two months of this year, there have been more than 3,500 suspected mpox cases and more than 250 deaths.

At this point, the majority of the cases follow a pattern that has become well-established over the past few decades: The outbreaks happen in remote villages in densely forested areas of the north and central DRC. They typically start when the virus jumps from an animal to a person. Imagine a child catching a rodent or a parent cooking bushmeat. And from there, the virus can spread within a household or a community, often through skin-to-skin contact or through contact with shared surfaces, like a bed sheet or towel.

For some, the mpox virus is mild – causing a few lesions. For others, it can be devastating: fever, malaise and painful lesions all over the hands, face and torso – and even death.

"People are very ill, and there's certainly a risk of dying from it or having long-term consequences," says Dr. Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health who has spent 22 years working on mpox in the DRC.

The strain of the virus that's common in the DRC is called Clade I and it's 10 times more deadly than Clade II, which is found in West Africa and caused the global outbreak. (The nomenclature "Clade" is a scientific way to indicate the strains have a common ancestor.) And with Clade I, about two-thirds of the cases in the DRC are in children under the age of 15.

Lewis, of the WHO, says this could be because many adults have been exposed and acquired some immunity. Plus, anyone who received the smallpox vaccine has some immunity. That vaccine was administered before the disease was eradicated in 1980.

"We've heard about outbreaks in schools. It behaves very much the way other childhood viruses behave," Lewis says. "But we see that high, high death rates are in children. And that is very concerning." So far in 2024, 87% of mpox deaths have been among children under 15 years old.

Experts say it's unclear exactly why there's been such an increase in cases. "I think it's too early to say what exactly is happening here," Rimoin says.

With the number of cases and the number of children impacted, many experts worry about regional spread. Earlier this month, more than 40 mpox infections were reported on the other side of the Congo River in the Republic of Congo. But, so far, Lewis says, it's unclear if those cases came from the DRC, since mpox is endemic in both countries.

In addition to focusing on children, experts are closely tracking a new situation that doesn't fit the traditional mpox story. Attention has been focused on the gold-rich city of Kamituga in the South Kivu province, which never used to have mpox cases.

"It's a rich region where there are several minerals and thousands of workers working in this mining setting," explains Nachega of the University of Pittsburgh. "We have some recent evidence showing that some miners are circulating this virus and it's been documented also in sex workers."

This is concerning for two reasons, he says. First, the more virulent strain of the virus that's present in the DRC – Clade I – was never known to transmit sexually until a few months ago. Now, this type of spread is firmly established. Second, many of the miners are transient, and many families in the area are on the move too, fleeing violence from ongoing strife.

"This population is highly mobile," says Nachega, noting that when people move viruses move with them and Kamituga is not far from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania. "We are calling for urgent reinforcement."

He would like to see the DRC and the international community act quickly, improving everything from surveillance to case management. Fast action is especially important when it comes to testing and vaccination, he says.

About 90% of the mpox cases in the DRC are not confirmed by a laboratory test. That's because in a country of over 100 million, there are only two labs that do mpox PCR – or polymerase chain reaction – testing.

"You need to collect specimens from the skin and they have to transit [the sample] hundreds of kilometers across very rough roads or down rivers to arrive at the national lab," explains the WHO's Lewis. "There are, as of yet, no fully validated rapid tests. Lots of research is being done on molecular tests, on protein-based tests, but they're not yet at a stage where they can be widely deployed."

She says the result is that most diagnoses are based solely on symptoms, which is problematic. In the forested part of the country, mild mpox can look like chickenpox or measles. In the mining community where it's sexually transmitted, the virus needs to be distinguished from herpes, syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.

On top of all that, the specific strain circulating in the mining community has evolved, as viruses do. The part of the genome which the PCR test targets is not present in the current strain.

"So, it's possible to miss the diagnosis," says Lewis. However, she adds that the national lab can adjust to this new reality with testing that reveals the broad type of virus – an orthopoxvirus – and then genome sequencing. The WHO is working to get the word out to neighboring countries.

Vaccines were a major piece of the strategy during the global mpox outbreak in 2022. However, the DRC government has not authorized use of any of the three vaccines available for mpox – nor has any other African government.

"The need is great," said Lewis. "Everybody wants it to happen very quickly but, at the same time, it has to be done carefully and with quality discussions and quality information." She said she expects it to be several more months, at a minimum, before vaccines arrive in the country.

When the global outbreak happened two years ago, vaccines used for mpox were still relatively new. It was only within the last 10 years – and, in some cases, the last couple years – that places like North America, Japan and Europe approved them. One vaccine used in the U.S. is roughly 82% effective with two doses.

But the data about effectiveness comes from healthy adults in high-income settings. Earlier this month, the WHO's advisory group on immunizations grappled with how this data would apply to children and to adults who may be malnourished or face a different health profile than the one seen in high-income countries. The group ultimately recommended an off-label use in children, given the large number of kids affected by mpox in the DRC.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/03/27/1239276957/mpox-outbreak-democratic-republic-of-congo-deadlier-strain

About those Mpox vaccines

There are some reports from Europe that says the two-shot Mpox vaccine protection wanes significantly in a year IF the person had not previously had a smallpox vaccination  The importance of the smallpox vaccine is also indicated by the higher rates of illness in ages that are too young and had never received the smallpox vaccine

...Little is known about the longevity of immune responses induced by-MVA-BN vaccination and the impact of prior smallpox vaccination. In this study, the authors assessed the antibody levels response to MVA-BN one year after vaccination. While marketed under various names such as JYNNEOS, IMVANEX, and IMVAMUNE, all are brand names for the same Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine. As such, the immunological effects they confer are expected to be consistent across these products.

Out of the 118 vaccine recipients, 36 (30%) returned for the 1-year follow-up visit. Among individuals without pre-existing immunity, 14/21 (67%) had undetectable levels of VACV IgG and a 10.7-fold decrease in VACV IgG GMT (geometric mean, a standard measurement for antibody levels) was observed compared to the last time point after vaccination in 2022 (4 weeks after the second dose) (Figure 1 full abstract).

In contrast, among individuals with childhood smallpox vaccination, only one participant out of 15 (7%) had undetectable VACV IgG after one year, and the GMT reduction between 4 weeks after the last vaccine dose in 2022 and the one-year follow-up visit was 2.5-fold for those vaccinated with two doses of MVA-BN, and 1.9-fold for those vaccinated with one dose of MVA-BN.

The authors say: “A rapid decline in VACV-specific IgG antibodies was observed one year after MVA-BN vaccination, leading to loss of detectable antibodies in 42% (15/36) of the participants. This reduction was most pronounced in individuals without pre-existing immunity. As the mechanism of protection for mpox remains undefined, the implications of waning antibody levels for conferring protection remain uncertain.”...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1039387

[neal]

tick, tick, tick....

first human case probably based on contact with cows.

[SteveMDFP]

tick, tick, tick....

first human case probably based on contact with cows.

Today, the CDC confirms cattle-to-human transmission of H5N1.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the U.S.
CDC’s Risk Assessment for the General Public Remains Low
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0401-avian-flu.html

April 1, 2024—A person in the United States has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”), as reported by Texas and confirmed by CDC. This person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. The patient reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom, and is recovering. The patient was told to isolate and is being treated with an antiviral drug for flu. This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection. ...[/b]
----------------------------------

Fortunately, the guy just has conjunctivitis.  This strain is only causing flu-like findings in infected cattle.  We can *hope* this strain, in adapting to mammalian hosts, lost it's "highly pathogenic" nature.  Other strains coming from birds to mammals might not be so relatively benign.

[neal]

the roulette wheel spins again...

[neal]

be a cow in Texas and see the world...

[neal]

CDC sequencing of H5N1 patient samples yields new clinical clues
Lisa Schnirring  23 minutes ago.
 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
conjunctivitis
Pawel Kacperek/iStock

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last night released a detailed analysis of H5N1 avian flu samples taken from a patient in Texas who was exposed to sick cows, which suggests that the infection might involve the eyes but perhaps not the upper respiratory tract.

Also, when CDC scientists compared the human H5N1 samples to viruses from cattle, wild birds, and poultry, they found in the human sample a mutation with known links to host adaptation.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that highly pathogenic avian flu has been confirmed in a cow herd from Idaho and Ohio agriculture officials said tests have confirmed the virus in a dairy herd that had received cows from Texas.

Sequencing shows adaptation change, but not increased transmissibility
The CDC detailed its sequencing findings, along with its observations about what those findings might mean for the clinical picture, in a technical update on its website. Scientists saw minor differences between the human specimens and the cattle samples and that the viruses had avian characteristics.

However, the human samples had one change—PB2 E67K—that has a known link to virus adaptation to mammalian hosts, seen before in people and animals infected with H5N1, as well as other avian flu viruses. Scientists emphasized that the marker hasn't been linked to transmission and that the results of the analysis doesn't change the CDC's assessment for H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that the overall risk to human health remains low.

Raj Rajnarayanan, MSc, PhD, a computational biologist with the New York Institute of Technology, on X (formerly known as Twitter) said PB2 E67K alone isn't sufficient to enable efficient human to human transmission. "However, this highlights the value of increased genomic surveillance and rapid dissemination of sequence data ASAP."

Patient swabs didn't show upper respiratory involvement
Also, the CDC detailed what they found during testing of the patient's nasopharyngeal and eye swabs. According to earlier reports, the patient's only symptom was conjunctivitis, a mild symptom seen in some earlier avian flu infections.

Testing on the nasopharyngeal sample didn't yield enough RNA for sequencing, but CDC scientists were able to sequence material from the eye swab sample.

"Notably, the patient reported only conjunctivitis with no respiratory or other symptoms, which likely resulted in lower viral RNA concentrations detected in the nasopharyngeal sample and is suggestive of a lack of respiratory infection in the patient," the CDC said.

Angela Rasmussen, PhD, a virologist with the University of Saskatchewan, on X said that it's good that the patient in Texas didn't become seriously ill, but she said a mild symptom like conjunctivitis may have a down side if mild cases aren't recognized and isolated.

She warned that undetected cases gives the virus more opportunities to adapt to human hosts, underscoring the importance improved surveillance to identify infections in cows and humans and prevent new ones from occurring, along with reducing exposure risk.

"We don’t want to give H5N1 the opportunity to adapt to efficient growth in humans. It can be deadly," Rasmussen said. "To prevent the public health crisis of tomorrow, solve the problem of today."

Promising hints for vaccine and antiviral treatments
CDC scientists also looked at how well the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from the human specimen aligns with two candidate vaccine virus (CVV) strains it had already prepared for vaccine makers to make a vaccine, if needed. It said the HA from the human virus is very closely to the HA of both CVVs, which suggest that the vaccines would likely protect against the virus.

And finally, scientists looked at how well the virus from the human specimen might react to antivirals. The neuraminidase (NA) gene didn't have any resistance markers, which bodes well for the use of neuraminidase inhibitors like oseltamivir. They also examined other gene segments and found no resistance markers to antivirals that target the PA segment (baloxavir) or M2 (amantadine, rimantadine).

Confirmation in Idaho and Ohio herds
In other developments yesterday, APHIS said testing at the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, has now confirmed a presumptive positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza in the dairy herd from Idaho. Earlier reports said the facility had received cows from another earlier affected state.

Today the Ohio Department of Agriculture announced NVSL has confirmed the virus in a dairy herd in Wood County, the state's first detection. It said the farm, located in the northwestern part of the state, on March 8 had received cows from a Texas far where the virus was later confirmed.

It added that the Ohio cows were tested after showing illness signs similar to those in other affected states.

APHIS also noted confirmation is also pending on more presumptive positive results from Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/cdc-sequencing-h5n1-patient-samples-yields-new-clinical-clues

[neal]

HPAI coming straight toward the raw milk lovers....

...Based on our current information, it appears the virus has an affinity to replicate in mammary tissue. We have yet to identify animals with confirmed virus replication in tissues other than mammary tissue and milk....

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/nvsl-hpai-dairy-testing-recommendations.pdf

[kassy]

But the cows are probably not getting it from milk so there is tissue to find.

What´s with the raw milk obsession?

[neal]

But the cows are probably not getting it from milk so there is tissue to find.

What´s with the raw milk obsession?

In case you are not aware of this, over 3 million people in America every week seek out and drink raw milk because they believe it is healthier than pasteurized milk.

Prior to when pasteurization was legally required, raw milk lead to about 25% of food-borne illness in the US.  Numerous types bacterial and viral illnesses have resulted from raw milk.

In the current trend of "science doesn't know anything" attitude, raw milk has moved from an underground product to now a semi-legitimate market item.

So the news of HPAI particularly focused on the mammary glands of cows means there is a very short route to the bodies of consumers of raw milk.  And anti-establishment dairy farms that sell the product are not the most compliant with health and safety regulations or too likely to stomp on the sales of their lucrative products.

As we have so recently learned, (or should have learned), the human body is a playground for the invention of new variants of viruses.  The larger number of people in the "experimental pool", the more directions a pathogenic viruses can go.

And HPAI with a reported very high fatality rate is not something that should be casually allowed into a significant portion of the population.

From 1 January 2003 to 26 February 2024, a total of 254 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have been reported from four countries within the Western Pacific Region (Table 1). Of these cases, 141 were fatal, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 56%

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20240329.pdf?sfvrsn=5f006f99_128

hope this answers your question...

[SteveMDFP]

From 1 January 2003 to 26 February 2024, a total of 254 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have been reported from four countries within the Western Pacific Region (Table 1). Of these cases, 141 were fatal, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 56%

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20240329.pdf?sfvrsn=5f006f99_128

hope this answers your question...

Quite right.  Allowing the raw milk trade to continue at this point in time is terrible risk management.  *Currently* it's not looking as though transmission of highly lethal, highly transmissible (human-to-human transmission, I mean) H5N1 is happening. 

But it is not hard to envision a different strain taking the currently-available pathway to humans.  The probability, in my view, is quite low.  However, the outcome in a worst-case scenario would be horrific.  The precautionary principle would demand universal pasteurization of all raw milk.  It's a small cost to prevent an (improbable) horrific outcome.

Is this stance fear-mongering?  Snort.  Is advice to insure a property against fire fear-mongering?

[be cause]

yes , if you trust in God

[Rodius]

From 1 January 2003 to 26 February 2024, a total of 254 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have been reported from four countries within the Western Pacific Region (Table 1). Of these cases, 141 were fatal, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 56%

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20240329.pdf?sfvrsn=5f006f99_128

hope this answers your question...

Quite right.  Allowing the raw milk trade to continue at this point in time is terrible risk management.  *Currently* it's not looking as though transmission of highly lethal, highly transmissible (human-to-human transmission, I mean) H5N1 is happening. 

But it is not hard to envision a different strain taking the currently-available pathway to humans.  The probability, in my view, is quite low.  However, the outcome in a worst-case scenario would be horrific.  The precautionary principle would demand universal pasteurization of all raw milk.  It's a small cost to prevent an (improbable) horrific outcome.

Is this stance fear-mongering?  Snort.  Is advice to insure a property against fire fear-mongering?

Given the history of the flu, it seems highly likely it will happen.
It is more a matter of when.

We are overdue for a bad flu outbreak/pandemic.

[kassy]

But the cows are probably not getting it from milk so there is tissue to find.

What´s with the raw milk obsession?

In case you are not aware of this, over 3 million people in America every week seek out and drink raw milk because they believe it is healthier than pasteurized milk.

Prior to when pasteurization was legally required, raw milk lead to about 25% of food-borne illness in the US.  Numerous types bacterial and viral illnesses have resulted from raw milk.

Fridges became more common, and we know a lot more about the managing of diseases, the overall feed is better.

If it was really problematic there would be lots of issues with the 3 million using raw milk all this time but mostly it´s ok. It is the huge monoculture corporations that have the bird flu problems now. They also don´t do raw milk. So you ae rehashing some corporate propaganda.

[SteveMDFP]

If it was really problematic there would be lots of issues with the 3 million using raw milk all this time but mostly it´s ok. It is the huge monoculture corporations that have the bird flu problems now. They also don´t do raw milk. So you ae rehashing some corporate propaganda.

The current herd management systems do a much better job of pathogen surveillance than they used to, true.  But you're overlooking one issue:  for a highly-transmissible and highly-pathogenic virus to cause a horrific outcome, it only takes a single human to become infected to result in a global horror.  A raw mild consumer could easily be that human.  And then, exponential growth in epidemics takes over.

Edit:  E.g., we don't know whether Mrs. O'Leary's cow actually started the Great Chicago Fire, but it could have.  Proper fire codes could have prevented that catastrophe.  Mrs. O'Leary's cow could now cause a human epidemic of H5N1.  Pasteurization could prevent that.

[neal]

TEXAS — Cows in the Texas panhandle tested positive for bird flu last month after thousands of livestock were killed in historic wildfires.

The disease struck about 40% of dairy cows in the Panhandle, where 82% of the state’s milk is produced. Infected cows have stopped producing milk.

“The trick is, how do we return them back to their previous state of milk production?” said Darren Turley with the Association of Dairymen.

He says infected cows receive probiotics and electrolytes, but once a cow is no longer infected, it doesn’t always immediately resume milk production.

“If we have a cow that's not pregnant, and not giving any milk, it's very, very hard for us to make that work to keep that animal to pay for that animal,” Turley said.

Experts say farmers should take certain biosecurity measures to protect their livestock from future cases.

“Clean and disinfect those trucks coming on to your place. And the workers, too. If you have coveralls on at one dairy and that you’re not taking to other dairies, that would be of significant concern. And then if you’re a worker and dealing with sick cattle that they’re using personal protective equipment to ensure their safety as well,” said Dr. Brian Bohl, TAHC director of field operations.

Also in West Texas, more 1 million chickens were killed to prevent bird flu from spreading. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says they are easy to replace.

“We can have a new chicken hatched in 28 days. It doesn’t take that long. And that hen will be producing in less than six months from now. So once we get the birds disposed of, the house cleaned up, it'll be ready to restock and be back in business, you know, three to five months,” said Miller.

Miller says dairy and egg prices aren’t expected to increase and that the quality of the products is the same.

“We pasteurized most of the milk,” he said. “The only way you could get it is if [you're] drinking raw milk or unpasteurized dairy products. So if you want to be on the safe side, you might hold off on that for a while.”

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2024/04/11/texas-bird-flu-outbreak

[neal]

But the cows are probably not getting it from milk so there is tissue to find.

What´s with the raw milk obsession?

In case you are not aware of this, over 3 million people in America every week seek out and drink raw milk because they believe it is healthier than pasteurized milk.

Prior to when pasteurization was legally required, raw milk lead to about 25% of food-borne illness in the US.  Numerous types bacterial and viral illnesses have resulted from raw milk.

Fridges became more common, and we know a lot more about the managing of diseases, the overall feed is better.

If it was really problematic there would be lots of issues with the 3 million using raw milk all this time but mostly it´s ok. It is the huge monoculture corporations that have the bird flu problems now. They also don´t do raw milk. So you ae rehashing some corporate propaganda.

Yeah, "propaganda"

Science don't work that way.

So sad.  Once again, principals of science-based website says science isn't real

In a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2017, researchers cited E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter and listeria that can emerge from contaminated cow's milk.

They noted that "Unpasteurized products are consumed by a small percentage of the U.S. dairy consumers, but cause 95% of illnesses." And, they said, the risk for illness was more than 800 times greater for those who use unpasteurized milk or cheese than for those who use pasteurized dairy products.

But because politicians often have a larger say over policy than scientists, an effort to allow raw milk in some states that ban its sale is ongoing.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/03/05/raw-milk-risks/1021709136939/

Raw milk producer linked to another outbreak
By News Desk on January 27, 2024
A raw milk producer in New Zealand has issued a recall after a couple of people fell sick.

It is the second time in the space of a few months that Campylobacter infections have been linked to Lindsay Farm brand organic raw milk.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said two potentially associated illnesses had been reported.


Health officials in Utah are investigating a cluster of campylobacteriosis cases linked to raw milk.

In a press release, officials with the Salt Lake County Health Department say they have identified 10 people in the county with campylobacteriosis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the bacterium Campylobacter, with four additional cases reported statewide. Twelve of the 14 patients have confirmed raw milk consumption, the source of which has not yet been identified.

The patients' ages range from 2 to 73 years old. One patient has been hospitalized but is now recovering at home.

Campylobacter is among the species of foodborne illness-causing bacteria found in raw, unpasteurized milk. Infection with the bacterium causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting, and illness can be serious for young children, pregnant women, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

State officials warn that drinking raw milk may be dangerous and advise residents to consume only dairy products that have been pasteurized.


ETC, etc

Hint, try googling raw milk illnesses.  If it doesn't say what you want, it doesn't mean that it's wrong.

it's like sex and condoms, an inherently risky behavior that you want to think "it'll be ok", but you don't even have the advantage of knowing the cow you're getting it from..

[kassy]

760 illnesses/year and 22 hospitalizations/year,

If you divide that by 3 million that is not a lot.

There is no way to tell how many of them are caused by the milk or what the people did with it for storing. It´s not a super big issue because many more people end up in hospitals for things that are normal too (smoking, drinking, driving, skateboards etc). 

[neal]

760 illnesses/year and 22 hospitalizations/year,

If you divide that by 3 million that is not a lot.

There is no way to tell how many of them are caused by the milk or what the people did with it for storing. It´s not a super big issue because many more people end up in hospitals for things that are normal too (smoking, drinking, driving, skateboards etc).

No, Kassy, drink all the raw milk you want, go ahead, its fine by me.  Lots of people do silly stuff that they think helps them.

You are wary of the "big pasteurization" industry (why?, special milk fairies in raw milk?), ok, you do you, fine.

But the topic at hand is the outbreak of avian flu that has jumped to dairy cows with the virus especially targeted at the mammary glands.

So if I were you, I'd use a little caution in this era in drinking raw milk.

Nothing says "science-person" more than people attempting to be patient zero.

Oh wait, it's all a hoax, isn't it....

As of Friday, the strain of bird flu that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has been found in at least 26 dairy herds in eight U.S. states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and South Dakota.

Drink away...

[kassy]

What an excellent argument...

22 hospitalisations per year is nothing compared to alcoholic beverages. So in general it is a non issue.

Is it a bigger issue now avian flu is in so many herds.

Maybe but most of the other cows are not getting it via the mammary glands. It´s just where they found it. That does not explain the current spread. So how bad this will be is a separate issue from drinking raw milk.

PS: i don´t drink raw milk.


 

 

[Rodius]

What an excellent argument...

22 hospitalisations per year is nothing compared to alcoholic beverages. So in general it is a non issue.

Is it a bigger issue now avian flu is in so many herds.

Maybe but most of the other cows are not getting it via the mammary glands. It´s just where they found it. That does not explain the current spread. So how bad this will be is a separate issue from drinking raw milk.

PS: i don´t drink raw milk.

The difference between 22 people in hospital for raw milk drinking and alcoholic over consumption is raw milk drinking has potential for a flu pandemic while alcohol doesnt.

[kiwichick16]

@ rodius   ....isnt alcohol already a pandemic ?


https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/alcohol-causes-more-harm-than-meth-and-other-illegal-drugs-study#:~:text=Published%20in%20the%20UK%27s%20highly,methamphetamine%2C%20synthetic%20cannabinoids%20and%20tobacco.

[neal]

What an excellent argument...

22 hospitalisations per year is nothing compared to alcoholic beverages. So in general it is a non issue.

Is it a bigger issue now avian flu is in so many herds.

Maybe but most of the other cows are not getting it via the mammary glands. It´s just where they found it. That does not explain the current spread. So how bad this will be is a separate issue from drinking raw milk.

PS: i don´t drink raw milk.

Sure Kassy, set up your strawmen..

OK, read it again....what are you basing your mammary gland info on?  Psychic powers?  Communication from the raw milk fairies?  Try some info from people who are actually studying the issue.


Zegpi Lagos explains how the virus may present in cattle. “The method of transmission between cattle is not clear. HPAI has an initial respiratory tract tropism, and then, after a viremia, the virus can reach other organs in birds. In cattle, however, the respiratory tract does not play a primary role in virus spread. Scientists believe the transmission route is related to the mammary gland and contaminated milk production equipment.”

Then Zegpi Lago clarified, “As a side note, pasteurized milk should not pose any risk for HPAI transmission since the virus does not resist high temperatures.”

Research continues despite possible challenges, Zegpi Lagos assured ICT. “At OSU, we have facilities that could host animals and the virus for research, but many requirements need to be met before starting research in BSL3 (Biosafety Level 3*) facilities that contain infectious agents or toxins that can be transmitted through the air and cause potentially lethal infections) conditions. We don’t know yet if the HPAI H5N1 will be considered a select agent; if so, it will make working with it harder for research. Evaluating the cross-species transmission from cows to other animals, understanding the transmission dynamics in cows, and understanding the tropism of the virus in cattle are some questions that need answers.”

The CDC suggests minimizing the infection risk when around birds, cattle, or other possibly infected animals; individuals should adhere to several preventive measures.3 Firstly, avoiding direct contact with sick or deceased animals, including wild birds, poultry, and other domesticated animals, including cows, is crucial. If you do touch a sick animal, wash your hands well with soap and warm water. Additionally, steering clear of unprotected exposure to animal feces, bedding, or raw milk, especially from birds or animals suspected of harboring the H5N1 bird flu virus, is essential.

Consuming uncooked or undercooked food products, such as raw milk or cheeses, should also be avoided from animals with suspected or confirmed H5N1 bird flu virus infection. Fortunately, commercially available milk is safe for consumption as it undergoes pasteurization, effectively eliminating bacteria and viruses like influenza.

Similarly, properly handled and cooked poultry in the US proposes no risk, provided it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F, effectively killing bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses.



https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/understanding-and-mitigating-h5n1-avian-flu-risks-in-cattle-and-beyond-insights-from-ramon-zegpi-lagos-dvm-phd



AND

Based on our current information, it appears the virus has an affinity to replicate in mammary tissue. We have yet to identify animals with confirmed virus replication in tissues other than mammary tissue and milk.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/nvsl-hpai-dairy-testing-recommendations.pdf

[Rodius]

@ rodius   ....isnt alcohol already a pandemic ?


https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/alcohol-causes-more-harm-than-meth-and-other-illegal-drugs-study#:~:text=Published%20in%20the%20UK%27s%20highly,methamphetamine%2C%20synthetic%20cannabinoids%20and%20tobacco.

No, it isn't.

Alcohol is not a pathogen, it is the consumption of a product, it cant spread from person to person like a disease can.

[kiwichick16]

@  rodius   not a pathogen ......but the example of normalising the consumption of a liquid carcinogen is definitely infectious.....

[Rodius]

@  rodius   not a pathogen ......but the example of normalising the consumption of a liquid carcinogen is definitely infectious.....

Alcohol is not infectious.

And given the situation, fixing those types of problems by removing it and banning it has always failed. That include the illegal drugs as well. Prohibition of anything always fails and causes more harm than good.

Still.... no drug is a pathogen and none of them are infectious in literal terms.

[neal]

What an excellent argument...

22 hospitalisations per year is nothing compared to alcoholic beverages. So in general it is a non issue.

Is it a bigger issue now avian flu is in so many herds.

Maybe but most of the other cows are not getting it via the mammary glands. It´s just where they found it. That does not explain the current spread. So how bad this will be is a separate issue from drinking raw milk.

PS: i don´t drink raw milk.

can it be said any clearer?

Has USDA confirmed at this point that cow-to-cow
transmission is a factor?

Yes, although it is unclear exactly how virus is being
moved around. We know that the virus is shed in milk at
high concentrations; therefore, anything that comes in
contact with unpasteurized milk, spilled milk, etc. may
spread the virus. Biosecurity is always extremely
important, including movement of humans, other
animals, vehicles, and other objects (like milking
equipment) or materials that may physically carry virus.
USDA APHIS is continuing to examine herds that have
diagnosed cows to better understand the mode of
transmission. To date, we have not found significant
concentration of virus in respiratory related samples,
which indicates to us that respiratory transmission is
not a primary means of transmission.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/hpai-dairy-faqs.pdf

[neal]

CWD (prion disease) in free-roaming cervids has expanded--an update

https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/occurrence.html

[neal]

avian flu in mammalian wildlife