A variant of H5N1 bird flu that has circulated widely in wild birds — and in several instances led to severe illness in humans — has turned up in dairy cattle for the first time.
The findings were relayed in a short update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday which traced the new variant back to dairy herds in Nevada.
While the implications aren't entirely clear, scientists say it's a concerning development that could mark a new chapter in the outbreak. The news comes at a time when a pause in routine communication from federal health agencies has made it hard to discern exactly what's going on.
"We really haven't heard a word about how the CDC is continuing to respond, or if they're responding at all, which makes it very, very difficult for academics and people outside the government to contribute," says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
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