A strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been silently spreading in US cattle for months, according to preliminary analysis of genomic data. The outbreak is likely to have begun when the virus jumped from an infected bird into a cow, probably around late December or early January. This implies a protracted, undetected spread of the virus — suggesting that more cattle across the United States, and even in neighbouring regions, could have been infected with avian influenza than currently reported.

  • @tal@lemmy.todayOP
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    13 days ago

    Apparently we only realized that this outbreak was occurring after it’d been spreading for about 5 months or so.

    The data also show occasional jumps back from infected cows to birds and cats. “This is a multi-host outbreak,” says Nelson.

    It’s also been jumping across multiple mammal species. No confirmed human-to-human transmission yet, but…

    • @Crismus@lemmy.world
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      1713 days ago

      Except only idiots drink nonpasteurized milk so it won’t spread to the general population. Or we already would have had a pandemic.

      Using our standard protocols works, no need to fear.

        • @rdyoung@lemmy.world
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          13 days ago

          Where are you getting 40% of the population not only drinks but has easy access to nonpasteurized milk? We get stuff from local farms occasionally and all we can get is non homogenized, it’s most definitely still pasteurized. And even then its still way way better than the store bought stuff.

            • @rdyoung@lemmy.world
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              13 days ago

              That’s not how that works. It’s illegal to sell unpasteurized milk, the only way to get it is to either know someone willing to risk it or to have your own cows, goats, etc.

              Most of the population (including the redneck trumpers) have no clue where to get meat, dairy, produce that isn’t from the grocery store or dollar general. I was in that group until I moved to what I call country’ish and met my wife who had been using csas for decades.

              • @I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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                613 days ago

                There are many states where it is legal to sell raw milk. You can not transport it across state lines, but if the farmer chooses to sell it in their own state, it’s perfectly legal to do so.

                • @rdyoung@lemmy.world
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                  -113 days ago

                  True but you aren’t going to find it on the store shelf and the average person isn’t going to know where to buy it. You lot at completely missing my point. I’m not surprised because most people can’t handle more than one thought at a time.

                • @rdyoung@lemmy.world
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                  -413 days ago

                  I got the point. I was making my own and you seem to be missing it, you are also I bet in the large group of people who don’t know how to buy food that isn’t from a grocery store or local butcher.

    • @SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
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      1013 days ago

      The virus spreads mostly asymptomatically. If the cows don’t get sick and their milk production doesn’t decrease suddenly nobody starts testing for viruses.

  • @venusaur@lemmy.world
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    2513 days ago

    This all true?

    The risk of transmission from cows to humans is considered low, as the virus requires a large dose of virus to infect humans. Additionally, the virus is not easily spread through milk or other dairy products, as it is inactivated by pasteurization.

    • BruceTwarzen
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      1413 days ago

      Guys the risk is super low, don’t stop the cow torture industry okay? It’s the most important thing right now.

      • @Fedizen@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        this was my concern, too. Especially after reading about how the WHO didn’t want to say covid was airborne because it would be hard to deal with or something so they stuck to a completely unsupported droplet theory to basically protect businesses from having to provide better ventilation

      • @meliaesc@lemmy.world
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        -113 days ago

        If the risk is high, they simply kill all the cows. That’s the reason eggs were so expensive a couple years ago.

        • LustyArgonianMana
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          110 days ago

          What will we eat if we kill all the cows and chickens? That’s the majority of American’s protein sources. And there’s no way pigs aren’t getting infected as well. Oceans are already overfished. Majority of the country will not be able to convert easily to veganism and still get their nutrients.

    • @Treczoks@lemmy.world
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      613 days ago

      as it is inactivated by pasteurization.

      Well, if it is actually pasteurized. Some anti-science people in the US will soon learn that there is a reason for pasteurization of milk…

      • @Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Yep, same. Doctor hassled me for wearing a mask in a health clinic. Told me it was gonna be fine. Told her Trump said the same thing, so we were definitely fucked. She didn’t like that.

    • Drusas
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      212 days ago

      There’s no vaccine yet. It’s being worked on.

  • @Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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    312 days ago

    This might be a dumb question, but how does this have a predicted 50% mortality rate in mammals, but the cows aren’t dropping dead left or right?

    Idk if the 50% is accurate, but I see it keep getting repeated.

      • @Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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        10 days ago

        How could they possibly know that when those numbers were thrown around before a large enough sample size has caught it?

        I am not even aware of 30 human cases to date.

  • queermunist she/her
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    -413 days ago

    Can’t wait till all the people who talked shit about bushmeat during the COVID pandemic to stop consuming cows and cow products.

    You know, to be consistent. 😏