Tests confirm avian influenza at New Mexico dairy farm.Cat tested positive

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Testing confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd in New Mexico, and five additional dairy herds in Texas.

As part of a rapidly evolving development, the announcement comes shortly after Texas health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first human case in a Texas person who had contact with dairy cows and a farm worker. The risks to

And in another development, Texas officials announced yesterday that a cat showing signs of illness at a dairy farm also tested positive for the virus.

So far, the virus has been confirmed on seven farms in Texas, two in Kansas, and one each in New Mexico and Michigan. The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, is working to confirm a presumptive positive case from a dairy herd in Idaho.

Cat tested positive after sampling at Texas farm

Following yesterday's announcement of the first human H5N1 infection associated with exposure to dairy cows, the Texas Department of State Health Services made the following announcement: health warning The report urged health care providers to be wary of people with H5N1 symptoms, especially those who have had contact with potentially infected animals.

It also noted that researchers collected samples from several animals in Texas and Kansas in March. Wild birds, cats and dairy cows were tested for signs of illness. “Further testing of these samples revealed the presence of avian influenza A (H5N1),” TDSHS said. A TDSHS spokesperson confirmed in an email that the sick cat tested positive for the virus.

The Texas Animal Health Commission said in an email that it had received HPAI test results for three cats.

Wild birds on the affected farms have previously tested positive for H5N1, adding to growing evidence that the virus may be spreading from cow to cow. Research is ongoing to understand how the virus is spreading on farms, including determining the extent to which the virus circulates in other animals and wildlife.

Cats are one of the mammals known to be infected with H5N1, with cases reported in the United States, Poland, and South Korea.

Gene sequencing provides even more information

Virologists are also searching for clues as genetic sequences from U.S. ruminants and wild birds are uploaded to public databases.

Dr. Louise Moncla, Assistant Professor, Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Yesterday Said X (formerly known as Twitter) reported that a USDA scientist has rapidly sequenced complete genomes and that she and her collaborators have added them to the Nextstrain visualization tool . This will allow scientists to map the family tree of viral sequences.

He said the sequences obtained from the dairy cow's nest match those obtained from wild bird samples collected from Texas around the same time. However, the Minnesota goat sample most closely resembles the Colorado pheasant sequence.

Moncla said the PB2 sequence had no known adaptive markers and the internal genetic similarities between the wild bird and cow sequences suggested direct transmission from wild birds.

This case is unusual because influenza A has never been reported in ruminants before, she said. “Now it will be important to track these cows and keep an eye on other species.”

Who is most at risk on a dairy farm?

Federal health officials said the outbreak of bird flu in dairy herds and new infections in Texas do not change the low threat assessment for the public. They also emphasize the safety of the country's milk supply through safety nets including pasteurization, but warn against drinking raw milk, which can harbor pathogens.

recently moose room podcast, Joe Armstrong, DVM; University of Minnesota cattle production experts advise dairy farmers on farms with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, especially those with the highest risk, especially if personal protective equipment is limited. urged them to focus on The Moos Room Podcast is part of the University of Minnesota Extension effort.

He said those most at risk are those who handle raw milk, such as those working in milking sheds, those handling calves and those working in bulk tanks. He also said people with immunocompromised conditions, such as those who are pregnant, are at higher risk.

Mr. Armstrong also called on dairy industry operators to ensure that workers, including those from other countries who do not speak English as their first language, are informed of reportable symptoms of illness. “They may or may not seek medical help when they need it.”

“If you're in the field and you have employees like that, you need to advocate for them and pay attention to them,” Armstrong said. “Contact them and make sure everything is okay. Make sure they understand what's going on.”

Note: This article was updated at 4 p.m. to include more information about cat samples from the Texas Board of Animal Health.