New Regulations Put into Place as Bird Flu Spreads in Dairy Cows

The Canadian government wants to implement new dairy cattle regulations as the avian flu infects more cows. They have already issued increased guidance for private veterinarians who suspect that they are seeing a case of bird flu in cattle.

The country has not had any cases of bird flu in cattle yet, but the nation already has 11 million domestic birds affected by the flu.

The United States government may be close behind them as bird flu spreads among dairy cows.

New Regulations

The Canadian government recommends that any vet investigating a case of avian flu wear personal protective gear.

Furthermore, people should wear masks and gloves and discard them in a sealed bag before leaving a site where avian flu may be present.

They also recommend that farmers completely clean any equipment used with their animals, including livestock trailers. The Canadian government also suggests that animals be isolated for 21 days after being returned to the farm from an auction or show.

They recommend that animals be kept only with other animals of the same species and that steps be taken to discourage wild birds from visiting their farms.

In March 2024, a person in Texas got bird flu after being around a dairy cow that had avian flu. In 2020, another person in Colorado was also diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with infected birds.

There are still no indications that this flu strain spreads from person to person, but the World Health Organization says that if there is a case, it would be of enormous concern.

How Are Dairy Cows Getting Infected With Avian Flu?

As of April 18, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed bird flu in seven dairy herds in Texas, two in Kansas, one in Michigan and one in New Mexico.

Since 2020, dairy cows have tested positive for avian flu in Asia and Europe. Cows sick with bird flu experience decreased laceration and do not want to eat.

Veterinarians believe the cows get infected by coming in contact with birds carrying the flu virus, but they are unwilling to say if dairy cows can give it to each other.

Experts believe that the milk supply is safe. They think that pasteurization kills the flu. In addition, they say that the number of infected cows is too small to affect the milk supply. Producers are only allowed to send milk from healthy cows to market.

Since the number is so tiny, they also do not expect it to affect the price of milk and related products.

Why Scientists Are Worried About Bird Flu in Bovine

Scientists believe that bird flu is mutating because of the presence of the polymerase enzyme.

Kanta Subbarao, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, Australia, says that the more the virus mutates, the more likely it is to develop a strain that can easily be passed from person to person.

If this theory holds up, it could be bad news for humans. If the virus has mutated to include the polymerase enzyme, it can replicate faster in other mammals, including humans.

So far, in addition to dairy cows and birds, the virus has been found in numerous animals, from seals to bears. This mutation could cause the disease to spread faster, increasing the chance of a widespread pandemic.

Many research studies are underway to study bird flu's genetic makeup.

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History of Bird Flu in Humans

The first cases of widespread bird flu in humans occurred in Hong Kong in 1997. The first person to get it was a three-year-old boy. By Christmas, there were 18 confirmed cases, with six people dying from the disease.

Authorities traced the disease to the area's poultry markets. They stopped the disease by culling 1.6 million birds. Officials believe they traced the outbreak to birds from Guangdong Province, China.

The spread of bird flu was contained mainly in Southeast Asia until wild birds in Qinghai Lake, China, became infected.

From that point, the disease quickly spread worldwide and is present on every continent except Antarctica.

Why Bird Flu Spreading to Cows Worries Virologists

Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, says that if bird flu is now spreading between cows without their exposure to wild birds, the most common carrier, it is vital to work out how the disease is spreading in dairy herds.

He says that if avian flu were transmitted through the air, the spread would be much faster. Instead, he feels dairy cows are infected by touching infected surfaces, such as milking machines.

The only symptom the person in Texas infected with bird flu after contact with dairy cows had was irritated eyes very similar to pink eye.

There were no signs of the disease when a nasal swab was done. Doctors see this as good news because they do not think it can currently spread through the air, but they are still concerned that the disease may mutate.

Steps Being Taken to Combat Bird Flu

The World Health Organization says vaccines are available to fight the bird flu. Center for Disease Control Director Mandy Cohen says her organization takes the situation very seriously.

They have two possible vaccine candidates, but it may take months to develop enough vaccines if a widespread outbreak occurs.

Officials with the CDC say that there is no widespread kit that would allow emergency management workers to diagnose the disease quickly.

Bird flu continues to spread across the United States. The Canadian government has taken steps to prevent it from entering that nation's farming community. People may get bird flu from contact with infected animals.

U.S. government officials and those with the World Health Association fear that the disease may be mutating, making it easier to pass from animals to humans.

They are trying to develop testing kits and a vaccine rapidly. This is a rapidly changing story, so ensure you stay updated.