As more farm workers get sick with avian influenza, the US federal government is putting $72 million toward strengthening its vaccine stockpile.
The H5N1 virus has affected millions of wild and commercial birds nationwide, and in March it made the jump to dairy cows for the first time. As the number of affected animals grows, so does the concern for spread to people. In the past, H5N1 has had a high mortality rate in humans, and scientists are monitoring the virus closely to determine whether it poses a pandemic risk.
Scientists are particularly interested in whether the virus is developing new mutations that could make human-to-human transmission more likely. The agency says there is no evidence that the virus can spread from person to person at this time. Of the 16 confirmed human cases, six have been linked to exposure to sick or infected dairy cows, while nine had exposure to infected poultry. The source of infection for a case in Missouri has not been determined.
Health Bird Flu Infectious Disease Vaccines Public Health
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bird Flu Fears Stoke the Race for an mRNA Flu VaccineResearchers have been working on mRNA flu vaccines since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but we may get one for bird flu first.
Read more »
Album Review: Suzanna Choffel’s Bird by BirdFourth album accentuates the genre-hopping artist’s commitment to showcasing her voice
Read more »
Major bird migration 'pulse' coming to NYC — much to the excitement of bird watchersNYC bird watchers exhilarated over anticipated fall migration boom
Read more »
'More serious than we had hoped': Bird flu deaths mount among California dairy cowsAlthough California dairy farmers anticipated a bird flu mortality rate of less than 2%, some say between 10% and 15% of infected cattle are dying.
Read more »
US provides $72M to vaccine manufacturers to advance bird flu shot preparednessThere are currently no recommendations for anyone to be vaccinated against bird flu and federal health officials note this is being done out of 'an abundance of caution.'
Read more »
2 human cases of bird flu confirmed in California, CDC says — here’s what to knowThe two bird flu cases in California bring the total to 16 cases in the U.S. in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more »