US to research possible respiratory spread of bird flu in cows
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[June 08, 2024]
By Leah Douglas, P.J. Huffstutter and Julie Steenhuysen
(Reuters) -U.S. federal and state agencies are planning research into
potential respiratory spread of bird flu among dairy cattle, according
to a Reuters interview with Michigan state agriculture and public health
officials.
Scientists and government officials hope the research will guide efforts
to contain the virus and reduce exposure to humans. Respiratory spread
could give the virus more opportunity to evolve, they said.
Scientists have so far suspected the virus spreads among animals and
humans through contact with infected milk or aerosolized milk droplets,
or from exposure to infected birds or poultry.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is working
with Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to plan research on farms to evaluate respiratory spread, Tim
Boring, the department's director, said in an interview.
"This is an area of concern that we're building out and looking more
into," Boring said. The research is a high priority and will be
important to guiding the state's public policy, he said.
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A spokesperson for the USDA said the agency is researching respiratory
infection in dairy cows with partners including universities across the
country to better understand the virus and control its spread.
Bird flu has been reported in more than 80 dairy herds across 11 states
since late March.
The exact mechanics of the spread of the virus are still unclear, though
there is evidence of spread to cows from wild birds and other cows.
The virus has been identified mainly in milk, but also in nasal swabs at
lesser levels, said Zelmar Rodriguez, a dairy veterinarian and assistant
professor in Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine
who has researched affected farms.
"If it's present in the nose when the cow is shedding (virus), it's
potentially transmitted through air," he said.
Any change in how the virus is transmitting gives it the opportunity to
evolve, said Richard Webby, a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
virologist who studies flu in animals and birds for the World Health
Organization.
"We certainly don't want that," Webby said.
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![](../images/060824PIX/health99.jpg)
A person holds a test tube labelled "Bird Flu", in this picture
illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File
Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jun/08/images/ads/current/aeps_lda_013124.png) But for the virus to be a more
significant threat to human health, it would need to undergo further
genetic mutations, Webby said.
The third dairy worker to contract avian flu, who lives in Michigan,
reported respiratory symptoms, including coughing. Flu experts said
the worker was most likely infected through close contact with milk
through splashes or aerosolized droplets.
Respiratory symptoms have often been seen in prior human bird flu
infections. The first two U.S. workers known to be infected during
this outbreak only reported symptoms of conjunctivitis, or pink eye.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the
latest case does not change its assessment that bird flu is a low
risk to the general public, and that it has not seen evidence of
human-to-human transmission.
The worker with respiratory symptoms was still recovering as of a
few days ago, said Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical
executive, in an interview.
Michigan aims to begin its study of blood samples looking for
evidence of prior bird flu infection among farm workers this month,
Bagdasarian said.
Reuters reported on May 30 that the state and CDC would be
conducting the study to understand the prevalence of human illness
and whether any dairy workers had previously contracted the virus.
"We have folks from the CDC who are in the state right now,"
Bagdasarian said. "We've been working really closely and
collaboratively with them, our protocols are in place
(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington, P.J. Huffstutter and Julie
Steenhuysen in Chicago; additional reporting by Tom Polansek in East
Lansing, Michigan; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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