As if Americans didn’t have enough to worry about with persistent inflation, a major election campaign and record numbers of illegal border crossings, a new study finds that bird flu viruses can survive for hours on hard surfaces, making humans and animals more vulnerable than previously thought.
As previously reported by The Dallas ExpressTexas became ground zero for confirmed cases of bird flu in cattle.
The CDC warns that people should take precautions when handling potentially infected animals. Symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal flu and include fever, sweats, chills, runny nose, and difficulty breathing. Anyone who suspects they have been exposed to the virus and is experiencing flu-like symptoms should seek medical attention.
Here is an excerpt from what Pandora Dewan reported for Newsweek about the new study:
The results are of particular concern to dairy farmers, as the virus remained stable in unpasteurized milk on the metal and rubber components of commercial milking equipment.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a contagious viral disease that spreads primarily among wild and domestic birds. However, the virus that causes avian influenza can sometimes jump to other animals, including dairy cows, and in some cases to humans.
Since mid-March, there has been a “multi-state outbreak of the virus” among dairy cows, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and three cases have been confirmed in humans.
All cases to date have involved dairy workers who have had contact with infected cows.
“Dairy cows need to be milked even when they are sick, and it is not clear how long viruses contained in residual milk from the milking process will remain stable on the equipment,” said Valerie Le Sage, research assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in a statement.
To read more about this disturbing development, click HERE.
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