In recent years, H5N1 bird flu has spread among wild birds around the world and has spread to mammals like seals and squirrels. It can be deadly and has resulted in the death or slaughter of tens of millions of chickens in the United States alone.
Then, in March, another worrying development caught the attention of scientists around the world: the H5N1 virus was first detected in a herd of dairy cows in the United States. The virus has since been identified in cows in at least nine states, and preliminary testing of fragments of the virus in commercial milk indicates the outbreak may be more widespread than previously thought.
While the cases in cows appear mild so far, a dairy worker also fell ill last month with mild symptoms, marking the second known U.S. case of this type of bird flu in a human.
Today, national health reporter Lena Sun joins “Post Reports” to share the latest news on what is known and unknown about the growing outbreak and precautions people can take to stay healthy.
Learn more:
As bird flu spreads among cows, America’s fractured response echoes early days of Covid
Bird flu explained: how it spreads, milk and egg safety and more
How Prepared Is the United States for a Bird Flu Pandemic
Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Rachel Roubein and Tracy Jan.
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