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US undercounts bird flu in cattle as farmers shun testing

Farmers fear economic losses from positive tests, leading to under-reporting; USDA offers partial compensation

Reading Time: 4 minutes The U.S. bird-flu outbreak in dairy cattle is much larger than official figures suggest due to farmers' reluctance to test their animals and risk the economic consequences of a positive result, according to Reuters interviews with dairy experts, veterinarians, and farmers in six states with known cases.












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Explainer: How U.S. states are testing for bird flu

Reading Time: 2 minutes States in the U.S. are playing a key role in the nation's response to a growing outbreak of avian flu among dairy cattle that has also infected a small number of humans. The states are chiefly responsible for testing cows and people for the virus, but they take different approaches. Scientists tracking bird flu are increasingly concerned that current surveillance efforts are not sufficient.