Interesting tidbits from a press conf today on #H5N1 #birdflu by US agencies
—NIAID-funded researchers found commercial milk that was PCR-pos for H5, but could not grow live virus from it. (Good)
—USDA & CDC admitted some farmers won't let them test.
statnews.com/2024/04/24/h5n…

I was very saddened today to learn that Joel Breman died. Dr. Breman led the field investigation at Yambuku, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that led to the discovery of #Ebola . I learned a lot from Joel Breman.
nytimes.com/2024/04/22/hea…

If the world needs #H5N1 vaccines for people, we're definitely not starting from a standing start. Lots of preparatory work has been done, especially in the US. But this would be no easy task & equitable access would likely be a huge problem. statnews.com/2024/04/24/h5n…

Likely more cases of #H5N1 in persons than we know and why we ned to expand surveillance

' US vets have heard anecdotes about more workers with these and other symptoms - such as fever, cough and lethargy - who do not want to be tested.'

telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

Impressive commitment to carry on life saving work despite challenges.

I think it is important that we start testing asymptomatic cattle, both dairy and beef.

Important to start genomic surveillance in Mexico and Canada, the two largest export markets for US cattle (in that order).

We are still far, far from a direct threat to humans. But, the idea of a virus like H5N1 moving back and forth between the reservoir in birds, and the global human food supply chain, is not a welcome development.

A really important thread on the #H5N1 #birdflu outbreak in cows. Well worth a read.

Sunday night's excitement about an upload from Dept. of Agriculture of sequence data on the #H5N1 #birdflu outbreaks in cows turned to frustration Monday as scientists realized key info had been left out of the files. Without it, it's very hard to assess what's going on.

I should clarify: Idaho halted movement of cattle or bison into the state from states that have reported #H5N1 #birdflu in dairy cow herds.

Idaho, which previously halted movement of cattle or bison into the state to try to stop spread of #H5N1 #birdflu in dairy cows, reports another outbreak, it's second. National total of confirmed outbreaks now at 33.
(Data USDA's, graph mine) agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/c…

There's nothing like a genome sequence dump on a Sunday night. Sigh.
#H5N1 #birdflu Dept. of Agriculture #cows
statnews.com/2024/04/21/usd…

.Dept. of Agriculture has posted 239 genetic sequences related to the current #H5N1 #birdflu outbreaks in dairy cattle. Sequences from: cattle, cats, chickens, skunk, racoon, grackle, blackbird, and goose. aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poul…

Really interesting thread reviewing what has been seen in terms of possible mammalian transmission of #H5N1 #birdflu prior to the US dairy cow situation.

Anybody here got access to GISAID?

3 more dairy herds have been confirmed to have cows infected with #H5N1 #birdflu . Texas, Kansas & Michigan each notched up one more infected herd. National total is now 32.
Seems to be a 2-3 day lag between lab confirmation & posting by Dept. of Agriculture.
aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poul…