The United States is grappling with a significant outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, which has notably spread among cattle, affecting over 34 dairy herds and leading to infections in humans. The first human case linked to this outbreak occurred in Texas, where a farm worker contracted the virus from an infected cow. In response, the U.S. government, including the CDC, has intensified efforts to monitor and contain the virus, focusing on dairy and poultry farms. New emergency orders have been issued in Michigan, restricting operations in affected areas starting May 8, after outbreaks were confirmed in 6 Michigan counties. The outbreak has prompted widespread concern about the potential for the virus to adapt to human transmission, which could lead to a new pandemic. Despite these efforts, there is resistance from some state officials and the dairy industry, who are wary of the economic impacts of stringent measures. Notably, the bird flu has also infected over 90 million chickens and more than 9,000 wild birds. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients has taken a personal interest in the bird flu response.
“If one child dies of bird flu, this will be a bigger story than tents on campuses or whether or not Donald Trump can stay awake in court.” Donald G. McNeil Jr. reports on the American dairy industry’s fight to contain the H5N1 avian flu epidemic. https://t.co/mKgoXBEptS
Cow tissue from the mammary gland contains abundant receptors of the kind that avian flu viruses like H5N1 can attach, according to preprint. https://t.co/kl51a7zqtS
Bird flu has hit US cows but tracking efforts are falling woefully short. Public health experts say the US authorities need a better strategy to lower the risk of the virus spreading to people. https://t.co/HLnVnfBRrR
.@USDA posted more raw sequence data from the #H5N1 #birdflu outbreak in cows yesterday. (typo in the date below.) I await with interest to see what the very smart folks poring over the data see in this latest batch. https://t.co/qgOAWpK7gJ
As an avian flu virus continues to infect dairy cattle in the United States, researchers are hoping to examine its impact on the animals by deliberately infecting them in labs with high biosafety levels. https://t.co/BlXIaKyi3M
Farmers have been warned a new strain of an animal virus has a "very high" probability of affecting livestock in the UK 🔗 Read more https://t.co/KrHFdhPBgE
Bird flu has hit US cows but tracking efforts are falling woefully short. Public health experts say the US authorities need a better strategy to lower the risk of the virus spreading to people. https://t.co/f5fDX2MINP
'They need to back off': Farm states push back on Biden’s bird flu response https://t.co/8tbnwYfKDu via @politico
The new policy is extraordinarily complex and convoluted, and, through an extraordinarily narrow new definition of "potential pandemic pathogen," exempts almost all research on potential pandemic pathogens from federal risk-benefit review. https://t.co/rRCRrcFtqT
After 10 months off for my science journalism fellowship at MIT I’m jumping back into infectious disease reporting and uh boy I’m not gonna be bored am I?! Here's a first story on #h5n1 in cows (and I'll try to write a thread later): https://t.co/Q3oN6qSssS
“No doubt the dairy industry fears alarmist headlines will kill sales, but it and our public health leaders must do more to prove the milk supply is safe.” Donald G. McNeil Jr. on why Americans deserve to know more about this “major epidemic” of bird flu: https://t.co/mKgoXBEptS
EXCLUSIVE: A new report calls on all levels of government to strengthen U.S. biodefense measures and urges policymakers to codify parts of a national strategy to address an array of biological threats. https://t.co/lqR4gd69zC
WHO’s top scientist learned a hard lesson about H5N1 two decades ago: Stopping it takes more than biology. Read more from @HelenBranswell’s interview with Jeremy Farrar https://t.co/LEDj1rFHfS via @statnews
1/n The below is a very good thread, partly on why the risk of #H5N1 is so big, but more on how US federal & state governmental agencies are being negligent about it (upcoming November POTUS2024, state politics, recalcitrant, blind big-business in livestock farming) https://t.co/iv5Brerd1K
Alert: Canada expanding surveillance, testing milk for H5N1 avian flu amid U.S. dairy cattle outbreak The globalists are making their move. Watch as Bill Gates promotes another vaccine to deal with the latest outbreak and the lying main stream media who are complicit fall into… https://t.co/vMaBDVFpQd
CDC’s top #flu scientist says the risk to the public from #H5N1 is low, but she isn’t sleeping well. Here’s why. https://t.co/3k3DPzAs64
Dairy farmers are resisting CDC measurements of H5N1 on their farms because they “don’t want to be identified as potential hotspots for the virus”. https://t.co/GqBlT3zz3k https://t.co/ueE54IsbSR
POLITICO on H5N1: “The CDC is locked in a power struggle with key states and agriculture players as it tries to better track the virus and prevent another potential pandemic.” https://t.co/CcmqfdEAhx
The @WhiteHouse released new oversight policy on dual-use research and research on pathogens w/ enhanced pandemic potential. I'm told their goal was to close obvious gaps in previous policy and provide more specific guidance for researchers. https://t.co/OaFh7X4XtA
The implementation guidance for the new policy states, nonsensically, that H5N1 avian influenza virus--currently infecting cows in multiple US states and being closely monitored for potential to cause a pandemic--does not not meet the definition of "potential pandemic pathogen." https://t.co/GY6bWSOfmV
US CDC asks states to make worker protective gear available to combat bird flu https://t.co/65X9TjTvhb https://t.co/pS9eBo6Bj2
The newly announced US-government policy on dual-use research of concern and potential pandemic pathogen research is complex and convoluted, essentially guaranteeing failure. https://t.co/rRCRrcFtqT
https://t.co/rX7Aojg5F2 Why do virologists, their funders, and the biodefense industry exclude the public from being considered main stakeholders in discussions regarding dual-use research, research to enhance potential pandemic pathogens, and gain-of-function studies, whether…
BREAKING: The White House has released long-awaited policy on regulating potentially risky, federally-funded research that could make pathogens more dangerous. Here: https://t.co/3BycV08w3m For background, read: https://t.co/tATJGzzP61 Watch @ScienceInsider for coverage to come. https://t.co/mzU6HhDmRB
Long-awaited policy from @WHOSTP on Dual Use and Potential Pandemic Pathogen research just posted https://t.co/V5WAsxrDp9
Biden admin battle with state officials in Texas, Idaho over bird flu outbreak: 'Bless their hearts' https://t.co/dM41Ys3DUQ
KFF Health News' @amymaxmen provides easy answers to your top questions on H5N1, the bird flu making headlines. https://t.co/uWEyanE6i5
A strain of avian flu that has infected cattle in other parts of the United States hasn’t been found in Pennsylvania. https://t.co/T78bEzYjB5
The U.S. @CDCgov is locked in a power struggle with key states — and the dairy industry — as it tries to better track #H5N1 in cattle and prevent another potential pandemic, @politico reports: https://t.co/2SCyqj73qd
Farmers tell feds, “Get off my lawn.” “They need to back off': Farm states push back on Biden’s bird flu response - POLITICO https://t.co/XmPYNAUvs3
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at odds with state officials and the dairy industry over its on-the-ground response to the avian flu outbreak spreading among dairy cows..." https://t.co/t0oOqs6ra1
Just as feared - "Texas, the first state where the bird flu virus was detected, has not invited the CDC to conduct epidemiological field studies there, even though its health department is open to the research, because, “We haven’t found a dairy farm that is interested in…
Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert https://t.co/vsXWRYPNzS
Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreak spreads, warns expert https://t.co/VQz7Y341qu
What a US farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection | CNN https://t.co/piixI26jiR
Lactating dairy cattle imported from the United States will now require negative tests for bird flu. READ MORE: https://t.co/zVkNcqcvGn https://t.co/zVkNcqcvGn
Amid bird flu spread, Canada boosts surveillance and testing at border https://t.co/46KjyUIS8I https://t.co/RgWLQUyaNE
WHO is currently giving an update about H5N1 bird flu. You can watch it here: https://t.co/59A2loZSuF
"White House chief of staff Jeff Zients has taken a personal interest in the bird flu response." https://t.co/rWUNc6F6mH
NEW: Inside the federal government’s power struggle w/ states to contain the bird flu outbreak https://t.co/0YTeLEsBfY w/ @davidalim @Marcia_Brown9 @meganmesserly @adamcancryn
Inside the federal government’s tug-of-war with states on the bird flu outbreak https://t.co/sOqAYRELkI via @politico
The WHO is now trying to blame cows for the spread of H5N1 'bird flu', which could supposedly develop the ability to infect humans, with an "extraordinarily high" mortality rate. Will the WHO now start calling for cows to be culled in the name of "public health", leaving people… https://t.co/pblmmfuQlS
Inside the federal government’s tug-of-war with states on the bird flu outbreak https://t.co/s7zmPiSCw6
H5N1 Bird Flu Makes Historic Jump From Mammals to Humans Shortly After Bill Gates Unveiled New Vaccine A Texan farm worker has contracted bird flu from an infected cow, marking the first time the H5N1 virus has been recorded spreading from mammals to humans, according to the… https://t.co/VWVNcJRr8b
People are starting to notice the gap between the reality that they observe and the version of reality presented them by the government, the media, and the "experts." Bird flu: Experts urge more surveillance in Canada — before it’s too late Some experts are urging Canada to boost… https://t.co/8mB5F8td40
Since 2022, #birdflu in the United States has infected over 90 million chickens, more than 9,000 wild birds and 34 dairy herds, as well as one person who came in close contact with infected cattle, and another person after exposure to poultry. https://t.co/eJ9HcRob3D
Cattle across the country are infected by the H5N1 #birdflu. The virus isn’t spreading among people — but if it evolves to do that, fears of another pandemic could be realized. https://t.co/VNbgnHqo37
JUST IN: The State of Michigan has announced new Emergency orders to put restrictions on dairy and poultry farms to protect against the bird flu. The order takes effect May 8th, and is being implemented after 6 Michigan counties have shown outbreaks. The bird flu can be a… https://t.co/U2Vo4FHqNM
From bad to worse From April 2023, but relevant information. This H5N1 clade is most of all and more than all previous clades an avian virus, Adaptations to humans is required for H2H infections, We are a step closer. https://t.co/P2VaOGTzn4 1/7
Easy answers to your top questions on H5N1, the bird flu making headlines. @amymaxmen reports. ⤵️ https://t.co/uWEyanE6i5
Cattle prices have tumbled as the US government steps up measures to contain the spread of a bird flu outbreak among the country’s cow herd - FT https://t.co/zTcMJDcf3b
COVID revealed the societal need for checks and balances over science From mismanagement of research risks to funders’ censorship of valid science, our scientific system did not adequately serve the interests of the public who funded it. https://t.co/oKoTBGLfTO