Bird flu has been a major concern for the US public health officials in recent days. The outbreak of H5N1 bird flu virus was first detected in late March, and since then, it has been spreading rapidly among cows and humans. In response to the outbreak, farmers have been instructed to discard milk from sick cows to keep milk supplies safe. However, despite these measures, the virus has been detected in commercial milk supplies in eight states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio and Texas.
The presence of the virus in dairy products raises questions about how it survived the mandatory pasteurization process in the US. Although its effects on humans are not yet clear, bird flu is known to be a deadly virus that has caused millions of bird deaths. Public health officials are concerned about the spread of bird flu because it can be very deadly to humans. However, it does not spread easily from person to person like COVID-19 does.
Cows that test positive for the virus must undergo a 30-day quarantine before being tested again. Symptoms in humans are similar to the common flu and COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue diarrhea and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia breathing difficulties and death especially at-risk populations. Diagnosis is made using a PCR test on nasal washes while treatment includes antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relanza.
Overall, protecting against the spread of H5N1 among animals and humans is critical to preventing further outbreaks and potential health risks. Farmers should take extra precautions such as monitoring cows for suspicious symptoms and reporting any cases immediately to authorities while public health officials continue their efforts to contain the spread of the virus among humans.