Federal authorities have announced an outbreak of bird flu on dairy farms a month ago, but reassured the public that the outbreak does not impact the food or milk supply and poses little risk to the public. However, the Department of Agriculture has now updated that the virus is spreading among cows and from cows to poultry.
The latest report reveals that bird flu infections have been detected in a cattle herd in North Carolina, even though no symptoms were present. Surprisingly, information about these infections in the cattle herd has not been shared publicly by the U.S.D.A., raising concerns about the extent of the spread of the virus.
This finding suggests that the infections may be more widespread than originally believed, as the department is not requiring farms to test cattle for infection. However, farms are now being reimbursed for testing cows without symptoms, a change from the previous policy of only reimbursing testing for visibly ill cows.
The extent of asymptomatic animals with bird flu elsewhere remains unclear, leaving many questions unanswered about the spread of the virus among livestock. The U.S.D.A.’s response to this outbreak will continue to be closely monitored as authorities work to contain the spread and protect public health.
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