In #plague news, bird flu is now going after the moo-birds and the meow-birds.
At least four cattle herds in Nevada have tested positive for a strain of H5N1 bird flu never before seen in cows, state agriculture officials confirmed Wednesday, and respiratory symptoms like coughing and sneezing have been reported.
That bird flu strain, called D1.1 by scientists, was also linked to a fatal human case in Louisiana last year after exposure to sick birds. The D1.1 strain has emerged in recent months to dominate infections in wild birds and poultry flocks across North America.
Symptoms seen in humans infected by D1.1 have been more severe than the previous bird flu strain that has been spreading in cows. That strain, called B3.13, has led to only mild symptoms, like pink eye and fever, in humans infected after contact with sick cows.
Research suggests that B3.13 is less likely to result in severe disease for humans, unlike other bird flu strains overseas. The risk is different for other animals, like pet cats, which have frequently died after exposure to food and milk contaminated with B3.13.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cows-bird-flu-d11-symptoms/.