The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said this week that about one in five U.S. commercial milk samples from a nationwide survey contained traces of bird flu virus, but it maintained that the product remains safe to consume. The public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu pathogen is minimal, the World Health Organization … Read more
Geneva — In the wake of a recent outbreak of avian influenza detected in dairy cows and goats in the United States, the World Health Organization is calling on governments to increase their surveillance and to “remain vigilant” regarding the possible spread of this deadly disease to their countries. Dr. Wenqing Zhang, head of the … Read more
GENEVA: The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate.“This remains I think an enormous concern,” the UN health agency’s chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva.The current bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has … Read more
A bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows has grown to affect more than two dozen herds in eight states, just weeks after the nation’s largest egg producer found the virus in its chickens. Health officials stress that the risk to the public is low and that the U.S. food supply remains safe and stable. … Read more
Dear Dr. John, I write to ask about the bird flu that seems to be making headlines regarding the danger and death to birds, but also to other species especially marine mammals. I cannot help but wonder if there is any possibility that my family or my dogs might be at risk. Why can a … Read more
A producer of fresh eggs in the United States has temporarily shut down a plant in the southwestern state of Texas after the H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected in chickens. Cal-Maine Foods issued a statement Tuesday that it had destroyed about 1.6 million egg-laying hens and another 337,000 young hens, equaling 3.6% of … Read more
ATLANTA — A person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu, an infection tied to the recent discovery of the virus in dairy cows, health officials said Monday. The patient was being treated with an antiviral drug and their only reported symptom was eye redness, Texas health officials said. Health officials say the person … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine — Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don’t see a clear way to slow the devastating virus. The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of millions of domesticated … Read more
A woman in China died after contracting an infection of combined strains of the H3N2 and H10N5 variants of bird flu. The 63-year-old woman died in December last year. However, the fact that the woman died due to bird flu has just been confirmed by Chinese authorities. The woman from the Anhui province of China … Read more
The highly contagious bird flu has been found in the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, a UK overseas territory accessible only by ship. It has been found in fur and elephant seal populations for the first time in the region. The strain was first detected in brown skua birds on Bird Island in South Georgia … Read more
