Dairy herds infected with H5N1 double just days apart in California

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

CALIFORNIA, THE NATION’S LARGEST MILK PRODUCER, SAW CASES OF BIRD FLU DOUBLE IN DAIRY HERDS OVER JUST A FEW DAYS.

OFFICIALS REPORTED THURSDAY THE NUMBER OF INFECTED DAIRY HERDS AT 17 AND BY MONDAY IT DOUBLED TO 34 HERDS.

THE FINDINGS ARE DEEPLY CONCERNING TO A STATE WITH AROUND 11-HUNDRED DAIRY HERDS. INFECTED COWS WILL NOW HAVE TO BE QUARANTINED AND NEARBY DAIRY FARMS WILL UNDERGO SPECIAL TESTING.

THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SAYS IT EXPECTS MORE CASES TO BE FOUND.

BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL HEALTH OFFICIALS MAINTAIN PASTEURIZED MILK IS SAFE TO DRINK.

CALIFORNIA IS NOW SECOND IN THE NATION IN DAIRY HERD CASES OF H5N1– COLORADO IS FIRST WITH 64 INFECTED HERDS.

BUT CALIFORNIA DIDN’T REPORT ITS FIRST CASE UNTIL AUGUST 30TH– LONG AFTER THE OUTBREAK STARTED IN MARCH.

SO FAR, 232 HERDS IN 14 STATES HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR BIRD FLU.

SPARKING EVEN FURTHER CONCERN IS A NEW WARNING FROM SCIENTISTS THAT THE VIRUS MAY BE EVOLVING.

INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS NOTE H5N1 COULD BE SPREADING UNDETECTED IN THE U-S BECAUSE OF “MONTHS OF MISSING DATA” AND NARROW TESTING REQUIREMENTS.

RIGHT NOW, THERE IS MANDATORY REPORTING FOR THE DISEASE ONLY IN POULTRY AND THE U-S-D-A REQUIRES TESTING OF LACTATING COWS ONLY WHEN THEY MOVE ACROSS STATE BORDERS.

SCIENTISTS URGE GREATER CONTROL MEASURES INCLUDING VACCINATIONS, WHICH THEY SAY MAY BE NEEDED “AT SCALE” IF THE VIRUS STARTS SPREADING FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN.

CURRENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY 14 CONFIRMED CASES IN HUMANS– AND IT’S NOT BEEN KNOWN TO SPREAD FROM HUMAN-TO-HUMAN.

THE C-D-C CONTENDS THE RISK TO THE HUMAN POPULATION REMAINS LOW.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.