Scientists in the US have been conducting research at full speed for weeks after bird flu has increasingly spread among dairy cows there. Now leading researchers are concerned. The virus has already adapted to mammals. Experts are now urgently recommending a reconsideration.
This is a “bad signal”, says the well-known virologist Eric Feigl-Ding via the short message service X (formerly Twitter). He points to the latest findings from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – which has now confirmed three more cases of cat deaths due to infection with the H5N1 virus.
According to Sonja Olsen, deputy director of the CDC’s influenza division, the animals suffered neurological symptoms — “with rapid deterioration up to death,” she told BNO News.
Dogs can become explosive carriers
Nearly all recently deceased cats came from infected dairy farms. Feigl-Ding is concerned that the cases are an indication that the virus has already adapted to mammals. The suspicion: The animals could have become infected by drinking raw milk.
In addition to cats, certain dog breeds (such as beagles) are now also at risk, Feigl-Ding continued: “And such dogs can make it easier for them to adapt to humans (since more dogs than dairy cows live with humans). ”
Top virologist no longer consumes milk
A recommendation from the CDC recently caused a stir among people: according to it, people should no longer drink raw milk, but only pasteurized milk, to prevent possible transmission to humans. The world’s leading virologist Rick Bright even stopped consuming milk completely until there is compelling evidence that pasteurized milk is also safe.
A team led by pathobiologist Louise Moncla from the University of Pennsylvania has now managed to unravel the genetic information of cattle affected by the disease – thus clarifying everything about human infection with H5N1. The patient in Texas was therefore not infected by cattle, but rather by birds – so it was not yet a corresponding mutation that could become dangerous through milk, for example.
‘Really afraid that we will soon experience a pandemic’
Despite the positive news, top experts are still alert: “The current variant of #H5N1 is apparently a virus that does not spread easily to humans,” explains German virologist Isabella Eckerle from the University of Geneva. “But we are doing everything we can to change this: since last year it has been circulating in mink fur farms, now it is circulating in American cows. I really fear that we will soon see a spreading pandemic.”
The danger lies not so much in transmission through milk, but rather in further adaptation to mammals, which could lead to bird flu spreading to humans. This cannot be ruled out and people and cows in the affected areas must be tested more often to prevent the spread: “The world we currently live in is not ready for a new epidemic or pandemic,” says Eckerle.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
