New H5N1 variant in cattle: growing concern

A variant of H5N1 has infected dairy cattle in Nevada and Arizona, raising questions about the mode of transmission and containment measures. The spread in cattle could make the virus endemic, increasing the risk of transmission to humans. An infected worker in Nevada had a mutation associated with increased transmissibility. Three hypotheses explain the infection: direct contact with the faeces of infected birds, ingestion of contaminated feed, or transmission by humans. Meanwhile, cutbacks in research funding and communication blocking with the WHO hamper surveillance. The government is considering new containment strategies, but without immediate action, the risk of further spread remains high. Notably, the recent outbreaks of the disease in dairy cattle in Nevada and Arizona have been linked to the H5N1 D1.1 variant, which infected a teenage girl in British Columbia and resulted in the death of a man in Louisiana.