Glacier FarmMedia – A research study from the United States suggests that bird flu could have spread amongst cattle through the air or contaminated wastewater at dairy farms.
The study released Aug. 1 analyzed 14 dairy farms from two different regions in California. At those farms, bird flu was detected in the air inside milking parlours as well as in exhaled breath from cows, which would infect both cattle and workers. The virus was also found in the water used to clean the parlours and milking equipment.
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Why it matters: While Canadian dairy cattle have escaped bird flu infections so far, poultry farms in some regions have been hammered by the disease.
Some cattle that showed no symptoms of illness were also carriers of bird flu, the study added. However, mastitis found in cattle did not always correlate with bird flu infections.
A potential vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu strain has tested well in non-human primates.
Novavax released pre-clinical data on Aug. 1, which showed strong immune responses in the test subjects with one and two doses of the vaccine, which was administered by injection and by nasal spray.
“Our findings indicate that a single (intramuscular) dose of (the) vaccine might serve as an effective pandemic vaccine in individuals with pre-existing seasonal influenza immunity from vaccination or infection,” Novavax said in a news release.
Brazil’s agriculture minister Carlos Favaro told reporters on Aug. 4 that Chile will re-open its borders to Brazilian poultry.
Chile becomes part of a growing list of countries that have removed restrictions on poultry imports from Brazil, which were implemented after a commercial farm tested positive in May. However, China, the European Union, Canada, Malaysia, East Timor, North Macedonia and Pakistan are still prohibiting all poultry from the South American country. Sixteen other countries have partial restrictions.
In Canada, there are only five premises currently infected with bird flu, the CFIA reported. No Canadian cattle have been infected with the virus.
