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Dairy cows on farm in Texas and Kansas have tested positive for bird flu in the first known cases in cows in the U.S. , and in all probability the humans . oxen in New Mexico are also think to have been infected , but they have not yet been tested .
Three weeks ago , the cows became ghastly with a cold - like illness , The Associated Press report . The animals were produce less milk than usual , their appetites decreased and they appeared unenrgetic .
In a first, bird flu was recently detected in cows on U.S. farms. (The pictured cows are not among those infected.)
Unpasteurized Milk River samples and pharynx and nozzle mop show that the cow were infected with the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza , the Texas Animal Health CommissionannouncedTuesday ( March 26 ) . This strain isknown to make outbreaksin wild and domesticated birds and tooccasionally infect people .
The announcement comes a week after the first U.S. case of bird flu in goats ( Capra hircus ) werereported . The caprine animal were sharing a pasture and water source with ducks and chickens that were taint with bird influenza on a backyard farm in Stevens County , Minnesota , harmonise to areportby the World Organisation for Animal Health .
The spread of bird flu to stooge " highlights the hypothesis of the virus infect other animals on farm with multiple species,“Brian Hoefs , the Minnesota state veterinarian and executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health , said in astatementreleased March 20 .
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Based on the Modern results from Texas , officials think the dairy cow were likely infect by wild boo . The tests did not discover any variety to the bird flu computer virus that would make it more transmissible to humans , the AP reported .
In outbreak of shuttle flu in fowl , functionary have had to cull integral passel to control the spread of the virus . By contrast , the cows that tested incontrovertible for hiss flu appeared to recover without treatment within seven to 10 days , expert told the AP .
The virus infected about 10 % of lactating dairy Bos taurus in the affected herd . As such , the situation " does n’t look anything like the high-pitched - path grippe in bird flocks,“Michael Payne , a food animal veterinarian and biosecurity expert at the University of California , Davis , tell the news agency .
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Only milk from healthy fauna on the touched dairy farm farms will accede the food provision . The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers the risk to people low andnoted in a statementthat pasteurization , which is required for milk sold through interstate mercantilism , kills viruses and bacteria .
So far , H5N1 bird flu has been reported in48 mammal species , admit dodger , skunks , raccoon , cachet andpolar bear . " It was probably only a matter of sentence before avian influenza made its path to ruminants , " which admit hooved , cud - chewing mammalian like oxen , goat and sheep , Payne said .
There are no reported cases of bird flu being transport from nonhuman mammal to humans in the U.S. to date , according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health . There have been rare cases of the infection spreadingfrom wench to people . Any risk of exposure of contagion is limited to people who have direct contact with infect animals , expert assure the AP .
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