Health Officials Keep Close Eye On Bird Flu As It Infects Cows For The First Time

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has public health officials on alert after it spread to an unprecedented number of cows in the U.S. this year and led to positive tests of the virus in four U.S. dairy workers so far this year.

A severe variant of the H5N1 strain infected animals ranging from alpacas to house cats worldwide since 2020 and caused lethal outbreaks in commercial poultry, but this is the first year it has infected cows, Reuters reported.

Humans have contracted different bird flu strains in Australia and Mexico, while different H5 subtypes have also shown up in other parts of the world including China and Cambodia.

Most of the human cases have come from exposure to poultry, live poultry markets and dairy cattle, but scientists worry the virus could mutate so it could easily spread between humans and spark a pandemic. The World Health Organization says the risk to people is low at this point, Reuters reported.

The first known bird flu cases happened in Texas in March, and now the virus has infected dairy herds in 12 states. The U.S. Agriculture Department said tests so far reveal that the virus detected in cows is the same H5N1 virus affecting wild birds and commercial poultry flocks.

Also Read: First Human Death From Bird Flu Strain Puts Vaccine Stocks Back On The Map

The four dairy workers who have tested positive for the virus this year had mild symptoms such as conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

Michigan, which has two of the four cases infecting dairy workers, has led the nation in efforts to stop the spread of bird flu and prevent negative impacts to the state’s dairy industry.

State restrictions include tracking who comes and goes from farms as Michigan tests more people than any of the 12 states with confirmed cases in cows, according to a Reuters survey of state health departments.

So far this year, various forms of bird flu have been detected in 21 people worldwide, according to Reuters.

Price Action: Most companies busy developing bird-flu vaccines saw gains on Wednesday. Moderna, Inc. MRNA picked up 1.18% to close at $117.44, while GSK plc GSK slipped 0.12% to $38.56 and Carlisle Companies Inc. CSL gained 2.28% to $416.88.

Dairy stocks and agriculture and dairy cattle exchange-traded funds gave mixed reactions. AGCO Corp AGCO gained 0.69% to close at $94.21 on Wednesday as Aemetis, Inc. AMTX declined 3.18% to $3.35 and Balchem Corp BCPC picked up 0.60% to $162.89.

Invesco DB Agriculture Fund DBA declined 1.23% on Wednesday to $1.23, while First Trust Dow Jones Select MicroCap Index Fund FDM rose 1.71% to $59.51 and Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Pure Value ETF RZV improved 1.32% to $98.

Read Now:

• Investor That Backed Moderna Raises $3.6B For AI-driven Biotech Ventures

Photo: Shutterstock