Avian flu is rampant on dairy farms and raises serious fears

Avian influenza, the pathogenic H5N1 virus, is rampant among cows on American farms and is causing profound worries among scientists.

The illness manifests itself in cattle cows that consume less and produce milk that is thicker and yellowish than usual. These are definite signs: they are infected by the H5N1 virus, the avian flu virus. In the vast majority of cases, cattle heal happily with some treatment, but the disease continues to spread in herds. In total, 36 flocks in nine various states are today contaminated by avian flu, which is wreaking havoc on birds around the world.

This progression is worrying, about the potential of its transmission via the ingestion of contaminated milk.

A human case has been registered while several cats appear as collateral victims, having drunk milk contaminated with the virus. The human case was contaminated by cows, and the question is pressing: can the avian flu virus, by spreading in cow farms, adapt and become viral in humans?

For scientists, the flu virus can adapt, and quickly. Nevertheless, the WHO (World Health Organization) considers that the situation is far from dramatic and considers the risk to be “low”.

However, what is transpiring on American dairy farms is worrying, because it evolves near humans. And each of the potential interactions is an opportunity for the virus to improve its adaptability.

Currently, no one knows exactly how the virus passes from one cow to another. Contact with contaminated milking machines appears responsible for a large part of transmissions. It is also possible for the virus to spread through the fecal-oral route or contaminated air. This last track would be extremely worrying because it is much more difficult to contain.