Post AtJF3WplDLztWa9e0e by mschomm@bonn.social
(DIR) More posts by mschomm@bonn.social
(DIR) Post #AtIicGPGz9RMDyijIm by cdarwin@c.im
2025-04-21T01:53:03Z
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As the H5N1 bird flu virus mutates and rapidly spreads through American cattle herds — a first for the U.S. — doctors and veterinarians are fearful that if the virus is left unchecked, it could spiral into a possible pandemicAvian influenza is constantly changing. Every new infection increases the odds bird flu could potentially become more deadly or easily transmissible between humans, infectious disease expert Dr. Kamran Khan warns. Today, the virus does not spread person to person, but Khan warns that could change. His company BlueDot was among the first to flag the virus in China that led to the COVID pandemic. Khan said bird flu is just as concerning.Khan said he wants people to know "this is a very serious threat to humanity" and that the longer bird flu is left to spread, "the greater the risks are going to be.""We are really at risk of this virus evolving into one that has pandemic potential," Khan said. "And the reality is none of us know whether this is next week, or next year, or never. I don't think it's never. But it may be here far sooner than any of us would like."https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bird-flu-pandemic-potential-scientists-60-minutes/
(DIR) Post #AtIkL4043jx6jPr6NE by cdarwin@c.im
2025-04-21T02:12:21Z
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Bird flu has circled the globe for decades, but the discovery last year that the deadly pathogen had jumped from a wild bird to a cow upped the stakes. This outbreak has decimated poultry flocks since 2022. Bird flu is so lethal in poultry that more than 160 million birds have been killed during this outbreak, driving egg prices sky high.The first bird flu detected in cattle was in early 2024. Cows were suffering from a mysterious disease: their fevers spiked, their milk dried up, they were coughing, drooling, and lethargic. Soon, there were more sick cattle in neighboring states. Colorado veterinarian Dr. Kay Russo joined a conference call of worried vets from several states to try to figure out what was going on. She said she learned birds on Texas farms had also died, that cats were demonstrating neurologic symptoms and that workers were complaining of flu-like symptoms. Tests confirmed Russo's worst fears: H5N1 had jumped to cattle for the first time. It's not clear how bird flu is spread from cow to cow, but milking equipment is a prime suspect. The virus is thought to linger on the auto-milker waiting for the next cow. The virus has continued to rip through America's dairy herds and poultry flocks, and it's jumped to other mammals, -- including humans. Seventy Americans have caught the virus, with one death reported – in Louisiana in January – in someone who had underlying health conditions. Workers in milking parlors are among those who have fallen sick. All but two states reported bird flu infections in either cattle, poultry or people between March 2024 and February 2025.
(DIR) Post #AtJF3WplDLztWa9e0e by mschomm@bonn.social
2025-04-21T07:56:20Z
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@cdarwin So maybe it's a good thing that the US inbound and outbound tourism numbers are in decline.
(DIR) Post #AtKwE4s80SQZAuUy00 by kimlockhartga@beige.party
2025-04-22T03:34:54Z
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@cdarwin how will we know when it changes, if our government agencies are not allowed to tell us?
(DIR) Post #AtLYTuSqGb79mreCnY by Judeet99@mastodon.world
2025-04-22T10:43:34Z
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@cdarwin The longer it's allowed to circulate unchecked, the greater the number of likely mutations thus the greater the likelihood of extremely dangerous-to-life mutations. I learnt that aged 16 in school.