Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows

Photo AP February 7, MINSK . Dairy cattle in Nevada have been infected with a new type of bird flu that is different from the version of the virus that has spread through American herds since last year, the Associated Press reported, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture officials .

The discovery suggests that different forms of the virus, known as type A H5N1, have jumped from wild birds to cattle at least twice. Experts say it raises new questions about the extent of the spread and the difficulty of controlling the infection among animals and people working with them.

A version of the H5N1 virus known as B3.13 was confirmed in March after entering cattle herds in late 2023. It has since infected more than 950 herds in 16 states. The new version, called D1.1, was detected in cows in Nevada on Friday, according to the USDA. It was found in MILK collected as part of a monitoring program launched in December.

The D1.1 version of the virus has been linked to the first bird flu death in the United States and severe illness in CANADA. In January, a man in Louisiana died after developing severe respiratory symptoms after coming into contact with wild and domestic birds. In British Columbia, a teenager spent months in hospital after contracting the virus from poultry.

At least 67 people have been infected with bird flu in the United States, mostly dairy workers and cattle ranchers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The USDA said it would release genetic sequences and other information about the new form of the virus in a public database by the end of the week. Scientists say it is a key step in understanding whether the recent outbreak is a new case or whether the virus has been circulating in livestock for a long time.