New Strain of Bird Flu Detected in Nevada Dairy Worker

February 11, 2025 TruthUSA

The dairy worker, who encountered infected cattle at a farm in Churchill County, Nevada, experienced mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization.

As reported on February 10 by the Central Nevada Health District, a dairy worker in Nevada has contracted a new strain of bird flu, which is the first instance of this specific variant being linked to cattle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also verified this case.

The worker, who was in contact with infected dairy cattle while employed at a Churchill County farm, showed mild symptoms but did not need hospitalization.

According to the Central Nevada Health District, “The individual had conjunctivitis without any additional reported symptoms and is in recovery. … Currently, there is no proof of human-to-human transmission of this virus.”

The avian flu, which is circulating among animals and, to some extent, humans, is scientifically designated as Type A H5N1 influenza. It consists of various strains, with B3.13 being identified in March after its spread to cattle in late 2023, as noted by scientists. This variant has impacted 962 herds across 16 states, primarily in California.

This new strain, referred to as D1.1, differs from B3.13. The presence of the D1.1 strain in Nevada was first confirmed on January 31 through milk samples collected in a monitoring initiative initiated in December. Prior to that, the D1.1 strain had been discovered in several individuals who had been in contact with poultry.

On February 10, the CDC indicated that available data reveals D1.1 has likely infected a total of 15 individuals across five states—Iowa, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin—who were all connected to poultry last year.

Concern Over Potential Spread

The identification of the D1.1 strain in cattle implies that the virus has transitioned from wild birds to cattle on at least two different occasions. Experts warn this could lead to broader dissemination of the virus.

Dr. Andrea Garcia, the vice president of science, medicine, and public health at the American Medical Association, expressed in a YouTube video shared by the organization on February 10, “Some experts fear this could signify a new phase in the outbreak or that bird flu might become endemic in the U.S. We are monitoring this situation very closely.”

Despite this, the CDC asserts that the threat to the general public from H5N1 bird flu remains low.

In the meantime, health officials are implementing precautionary measures to hinder further transmission of the virus.

According to the Central Nevada Health District, “Close contacts of the infected individual and other farm workers who were exposed are being reached out to and monitored for symptoms, receiving personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, and antiviral treatments.”

The Central Nevada Health District also advises several protective measures to avoid infection, including steering clear of contact with sick or deceased animals or their droppings, cooking animal products to the correct temperature, avoiding raw food items such as unpasteurized milk or cheeses, and reporting any dead or ill birds or animals to USDA Wildlife Services. They urge poultry and livestock owners to notify their veterinarians and the Nevada Department of Agriculture about any sick or dead animals.

Dairy Farms in California

As of February 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratories have identified H5N1 bird flu in 29 dairy farms in California over the past month, as reported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Since California’s initial detection of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle in August 2024, there have been a total of 739 infected dairies, with 280 of those having fully recovered and released from quarantine.

According to a press release from the CDFA on February 6, the agency is managing various USDA-funded research initiatives to better comprehend the virus, enabling the state to adapt its strategies against the changing virus.

The nationwide outbreak of H5N1 bird flu began in poultry in 2022.

This report includes contributions from the Associated Press.

Source: NTD News

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