HEALTH officials are testing ground beef sold in US supermarkets for traces of killer bird flu as the virus spreads to cows.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating the meat after the virus was found in nearly three dozen dairy herds across nine states and one person in Texas.
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Two studies will test whether particles of the bird flu virus, called H5N1, are found in beef for sale in states where dairy cows have tested positive or in the muscles of dairy cows sent to slaughter.
A third will test how cooking meat at different temperatures affects the virus using a bird flu surrogate.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FD) discovered traces of bird flu in milk from grocery store shelves.
The particles are inactive and pose no threat to consumers, experts said.
Scientists say there is no reason to believe that people can get bird flu by consuming pasteurised or properly cooked food.
So far, there is no evidence to suggest H5N1 is spreading between humans.
However, experts fear the sheer scale of the current spread could give the virus more opportunities to evolve, enabling H5N1 to better spread between mammals – and potentially humans.
H5N1 first emerged in 1996, but since 2020, the number of bird outbreaks has grown exponentially, leading to the deaths of millions of wild birds and poultry across the world.
It has also started to jump to other mammals, including humans, cats, bears, foxes, mink and penguins.
Cows were added to that ever-growing list this spring.
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Since then, H5N1 infections have been detected in dairy herds in nine states: Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Colorado.
A person working on a dairy farm in Texas was recovering from bird flu after being exposed to cows.
There are no known cases of bird flu in beef cattle so far.
US authorities earlier this month said a person working on a dairy farm in Texas was recovering from bird flu after being exposed to cattle.
Human impact
At least 887 people have been infected with bird flu in the past 20 years – and 462 of these died.
Five of these cases were reported in the UK.
In government guidance issued last month, Brits were advised to stay at least two meters away from wild birds because of bird flu fears.
Bird flu: Could it be the next human pandemic?
By health reporter, Isabel Shaw
BIRD flu is running rampant in wildlife around the world and is now spreading in cows.
This increase in transmission has given the virus lots of opportunities to mutate – a process where a pathogen changes and can become more dangerous.
Scientists fear it’s only a matter of time before one of these mutations makes it better at spreading among mammals – and potentially humans.
Some experts believe the virus could already be spreading among some animal species.
So far, there is no evidence that H5N1 can spread between humans.
But in the hundreds of cases where humans have been infected through contact with animals over the past 20 years, the mortality rate is high.
From 2003 to 2024, 889 cases and 463 deaths caused by H5N1 have been reported worldwide from 23 countries, according to the World Health Organisation.
This puts the case fatality rate at 52 per cent.
Leading scientists have already warned an influenza is the pathogen most likely to trigger a new pandemic in the near future.
The prospect of a flu pandemic is alarming.
Although scientists have pointed out that vaccines against many strains, including H5N1, have already been developed, others are still in the pipeline.
People should avoid all contact with wild birds, which includes pigeons, swans, and seagulls, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) officials said.
As for potential vaccines, if required, Dr Wenqing Zhang, head of the WHO’s global influenza program, said some were in the pipeline.
“Having candidate vaccine viruses ready allows us to be prepared to quickly produce vaccines for humans if this becomes necessary,” she said.
“For this particular H5N1 virus detected in dairy cows, there are a couple of candidate vaccine viruses available.”
She said that in the case of a pandemic, close to 20 influenza vaccines are licensed for pandemic use, and they could be tailored to the specific virus strain in circulation.
The symptoms of bird flu
THE main symptoms of bird flu can appear very quickly.
- A very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery
- Aching muscles
- Headache
- A cough or shortness of breath
Other early symptoms may include:
- Diarrhoea
- Sickness
- Stomach pain
- Chest pain
- Bleeding from the nose and gums
- Conjunctivitis
Source: NHS
