Scientists call new measures to control bird flu in cows ‘a drop in the bucket’ | Science
CEID affiliate faculty Lauren Sauer recently expressed her concern about the lack of widespread testing of animals for H5N1. “We’re not looking where we don’t already see indicators that the virus is there, and that never gives us enough information.” Read the full article from Science.
Should I be worried about bird flu in Mass. — or in my milk? A local expert weighs in | WBUR
While public health experts are working urgently to better understand H5N1, CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia reminds WBUR that for the general population, there isn’t currently need for concern or alarm about H5N1, especially because all Massachusetts grocery stores require milk to be pasteurized, which renders any potential H5N1 virus fragments inactive. Read more on […]
USDA conducting studies on beef due to bird flu outbreak but maintain supply is safe | ABC News
The USDA has not found any evidence of live, infectious H5N1 virus in pasteurized milk. USDA officials are now also testing beef for any potential for transmission of the virus. “Despite our confidence in the safety of the meat supply, the importance of continued and comprehensive investigations remains critical. These studies are crucial for maintaining […]
One in Five Milk Samples Has Bird Flu Virus Fragments, Suggesting Cow Infections Are More Widespread Than Thought | Smithsonian Magazine
“The discovery of bird flu virus fragments in commercial milk is significant, not because it poses a direct threat to public health, but because it indicates a broader exposure among dairy cattle than we previously understood,” says CEID affiliate faculty Dr. John Brownstein. Read the full story in Smithsonian Magazine.
Four reasons to be concerned (but not freak out) about the bird flu | USA Today
Now is the time to be proactively studying H5N1 & preparing for the potential of an outbreak, CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia tells USA Today. She adds that more testing in humans is needed to fully assess whether there have been more human cases than the single case reported in a dairy farmer. Read more […]
H5N1: What do we know so far?
When: Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 10:00-11:00 AM Where: Zoom webinar (register here) Cases of the H5N1 strain of avian flu have been reported in US dairy cattle since March 2024. As we have seen avian influenza (or “bird flu”) has the ability to be transmitted from birds to mammals such as cows and humans. […]
Fragments of Bird Flu Virus Discovered in Milk | New York Times
“As long it’s not a live virus, it is unlikely that there’s any health risks,” explains CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia. Due to both the pasteurization and digestive processes, there is little cause for concern about contracting H5N1 avian influenza through dairy products from potentially infected cows. Read more from the New York Times.
Bird Flu Outbreak in Cattle May Have Begun Months Earlier Than Thought | New York Times
With little information currently available on how long H5N1-infected cows remain ill & how long it takes to clear the virus from their bodies, CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia says, “We just don’t know enough about the natural history” of bird flu in cows, to know how widespread it truly is. Read more in the […]
Is There a Vaccine for H5N1 Influenza? | MedPage Today
With dairy farmers currently the most likely to be exposed to H5N1, some experts suggest this may be a subgroup to prioritize vaccinating. CEID director, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia notes that now is the time to be talking about vaccines, “including the current stockpile, the capacity to manufacture new doses if need be, and the designs of […]
The H5N1 Outbreak Is Not a Test Run, It’s a Warning Shot | MedPage Today
In an opinion piece for in MedPage Today, CEID director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia shares why increasing virus evolution for mammal-to-mammal transmission, such as the current H5N1 cases in cows, is concerning and why now is the time to study the virus and develop countermeasures- before it spreads more broadly to humans. Read more here.