The cows were infected with the second form of bird flu

Milk cows in Nevada have been infected with a recent form of bird flu, which differs from the version that spreads through the herds over the past year, The US Department of Agriculture was announced on Wednesday.

The discovery indicates that the virus, known as H5N1, spilled from birds to cows at least twice – leading to these two sets of infection – and that it can still do it. This also suggests that the virus can be a constant risk for cows and people who work closely with them.

Before last year, scientists did not know that cows were susceptible to this type of flu.

“That’s not what he wanted to see,” said Louise Moncla, an evolutionary biologist who studies bird flu at the University of Pennsylvania. “We must now consider the possibility that the cows are widely susceptible to these viruses than we initially thought.”

The message was announced in a press release from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of Agriculture Department. Federal agencies have not conducted information about bird flu since President Trump took office.

The virus that spreads through the dairies of the nation is the H5N1 version known as B3.13, which he infected Over 950 herds in 16 states. Scientists believe that they initially jumped to cows from birds about a year ago, somewhere in Texas Panhandle. This transition surprised scientists, and this recent one even more.

“I was a bit convinced that the birds movement was quite a sporadic event,” said Richard Webby, an influenza expert at a research hospital for children St. Jude.

He added that this was repeated, it was “a bit” wow “.

Cows in Nevada were infected with a version of the virus known as D1.1, which spreads in wild birds and poultry. Initially, it was detected in milk collected from the silo as part of the national milk testing strategy announced by USDA at the end of last year.

Form H5N1 D1.1 also turned out to be perilous to people. Of the 67 Americans, which are known to have had H5N1 so far, the only one who died has been infected with this version. This person, a resident of Louisiana over the age of 65, cared for diseased and dying birds and died at the beginning of January.

In November, a 13-year-old Canadian girl was also infected with D1.1 virus, but it is not clear where she could get it. Her only risk factor was obesity, but she also seriously ill and was placed on maintaining life Due to organ failure. She finally recovered.

Pita flu is so -called because it is best to adapt to infection of birds. But in both of these people the virus gained mutations during infections that can allow him to better infect people.

“It is possible that the virus is more acceptable to human adaptation mutations,” said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Make sure that the virus did not seem to spread with any person to anyone else. Despite this, his evolution indicated that he was able to get the ability to effectively spread between people.

So far, the spread of D1.1 to the cows “does not change the life of the average man,” said Dr. Moncla. Experts, however, stated that it is a risk for dairy workers and the dairy industry. He also suggests that cows already infected with B.3.13 can get diseased for the second time thanks to D1.1, said Dr. Webby.

“This is not just one virus,” he said. “It suggests for me that it will be a lasting problem.”

From January 2022, when H5N1 was detected In wild water birds in the United States, the virus was affected Over 153 million Commercial, yard and wild birds, which causes record prices of eggs.

He also hit dozens of mammals, including both wild and domesticated cats, sheds, bears and sea lions.