The H5N1 bird flu is spreading among American dairy cows, with infections appearing in 93 herds across 12 states as of late Wednesday.
The CDC states that there is no evidence of easy human-to-human transmission of bird flu, and the current risk to the general public is low.
Three human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been documented this year in the United States, all among dairy workers who had mild cases after exposure to sick dairy cows.
The first patient in Texas and the second in Michigan both experienced conjunctivitis, while the third, also in Michigan at a different farm, had an eye infection and a cough.
“We could potentially see more cases of conjunctivitis and eye infections that go undetected,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “We need more information about these viruses to understand if they are evolving.”
Scientists are monitoring the mutations of H5N1, which has been able to infect at least 48 different mammal species worldwide since 2020.
“The virus is evolving in ways that can infect various mammal species, causing multi-organ involvement and severe brain damage. This poses a significant risk to other mammals and potentially to humans,” Osterholm added.
Experts emphasize the importance of testing as the virus evolves towards sustainable human-to-human transmission.
According to the USDA, cooked beef and pasteurized milk are safe to consume despite the outbreak in dairy cows.
Various strains of the virus are emerging globally, with different cases reported in India and Mexico. These strains differ from the H5N1 affecting the U.S. dairy cows.
Dr. Amesh Adalja notes the ongoing efforts to track and contain bird flu viruses to prevent any potential risks to human health.
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Health experts stress the need for more testing in case the virus has the potential for easy human-to-human transmission. The public should be assured that public health authorities are working diligently to monitor and contain the spread of the virus.