Latest news with #KeithPoulsen
CBS News
21-02-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Michigan dairy workers' cats died from bird flu, but it's not clear how they got infected
Two cats that belonged to Michigan dairy workers died after being infected with bird flu. But it's still not clear how the animals got sick or whether they spread the virus to people in the household, a new study shows. Veterinary experts said the report, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lacks detail that could confirm whether people can spread the virus to domestic cats — or vice versa. "I don't think there is any way of concluding that there was human-to-cat transmission based on the data that is presented," said Dr. Diego Diel of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn't consume raw milk. One cat that died belonged to a worker on a dairy farm in a county known to have bird flu-infected cattle. The worker reported symptoms of illness before the cat got sick. That cat fell ill, tested positive for H5N1 and had to be euthanized. A second cat in that household also got sick, but it recovered. A third cat in the household didn't get sick and tested negative. Meanwhile, an adolescent in the household got sick but tested negative for flu. The other cat that died lived in a different household. That pet belonged to a dairy worker who transported raw milk and reported frequent splashes of milk on the face, eyes and clothing. That worker reported eye irritation, a possible symptom of bird flu, two days before the cat got sick. The cat was known to roll in the worker's dirty clothing and died within a day of developing signs of infection, the study authors wrote. Another cat in that household tested negative for the virus. In both instances, the dairy workers declined to be tested for H5N1, the study said. That means it's impossible to know whether they directly transmitted the virus to their cats, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It's more likely that the cats were infected by virus on the workers' clothing, boots or hands, he said. "We know that people at this point are not shedding large amounts of virus," he said. "I don't think it's because this person coughed on their cat." The study concluded that reports of bird flu infections in indoor cats are rare, but "such cats might pose a risk for human infection." In the months since the cats died, there have been several reports of domestic cats becoming infected and dying after consuming unpasteurized milk or pet food contaminated with bird flu. The new report underscores the need for more comprehensive testing for H5N1 in all arenas, Poulsen said.
The Independent
20-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Dairy workers' cats died from bird flu, but it's not clear how they got infected
Two cats that belonged to Michigan dairy workers died after being infected with bird flu. But it's still not clear how the animals got sick or whether they spread the virus to people in the household, a new study shows. Veterinary experts said the report, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lacks detail that could confirm whether people can spread the virus to domestic cats — or vice versa. 'I don't think there is any way of concluding that there was human-to-cat transmission based on the data that is presented,' said Dr. Diego Diel of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn't consume raw milk. One cat that died belonged to a worker on a dairy farm in a county known to have bird flu-infected cattle. The worker reported symptoms of illness before the cat got sick. That cat fell ill, tested positive for H5N1 and had to be euthanized. A second cat in that household also got sick, but it recovered. A third cat in the household didn't get sick and tested negative. Meanwhile, an adolescent in the household got sick but tested negative for flu. The other cat that died lived in a different household. That pet belonged to a dairy worker who transported raw milk and reported frequent splashes of milk on the face, eyes and clothing. That worker reported eye irritation, a possible symptom of bird flu, two days before the cat got sick. The cat was known to roll in the worker's dirty clothing and died within a day of developing signs of infection, the study authors wrote. Another cat in that household tested negative for the virus. In both instances, the dairy workers declined to be tested for H5N1, the study said. That means it's impossible to know whether they directly transmitted the virus to their cats, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It's more likely that the cats were infected by virus on the workers' clothing, boots or hands, he said. 'We know that people at this point are not shedding large amounts of virus,' he said. 'I don't think it's because this person coughed on their cat.' The study concluded that reports of bird flu infections in indoor cats are rare, but 'such cats might pose a risk for human infection.' In the months since the cats died, there have been several reports of domestic cats becoming infected and dying after consuming unpasteurized milk or pet food contaminated with bird flu. The new report underscores the need for more comprehensive testing for H5N1 in all arenas, Poulsen said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dairy workers' cats died from bird flu, but it's not clear how they got infected
Two cats that belonged to Michigan dairy workers died after being infected with bird flu. But it's still not clear how the animals got sick or whether they spread the virus to people in the household, a new study shows. Veterinary experts said the report, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lacks detail that could confirm whether people can spread the virus to domestic cats — or vice versa. 'I don't think there is any way of concluding that there was human-to-cat transmission based on the data that is presented,' said Dr. Diego Diel of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn't consume raw milk. One cat that died belonged to a worker on a dairy farm in a county known to have bird flu-infected cattle. The worker reported symptoms of illness before the cat got sick. That cat fell ill, tested positive for H5N1 and had to be euthanized. A second cat in that household also got sick, but it recovered. A third cat in the household didn't get sick and tested negative. Meanwhile, an adolescent in the household got sick but tested negative for flu. The other cat that died lived in a different household. That pet belonged to a dairy worker who transported raw milk and reported frequent splashes of milk on the face, eyes and clothing. That worker reported eye irritation, a possible symptom of bird flu, two days before the cat got sick. The cat was known to roll in the worker's dirty clothing and died within a day of developing signs of infection, the study authors wrote. Another cat in that household tested negative for the virus. In both instances, the dairy workers declined to be tested for H5N1, the study said. That means it's impossible to know whether they directly transmitted the virus to their cats, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It's more likely that the cats were infected by virus on the workers' clothing, boots or hands, he said. 'We know that people at this point are not shedding large amounts of virus,' he said. 'I don't think it's because this person coughed on their cat.' The study concluded that reports of bird flu infections in indoor cats are rare, but 'such cats might pose a risk for human infection.' In the months since the cats died, there have been several reports of domestic cats becoming infected and dying after consuming unpasteurized milk or pet food contaminated with bird flu. The new report underscores the need for more comprehensive testing for H5N1 in all arenas, Poulsen said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
20-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Dairy workers' cats died from bird flu, but it's not clear how they got infected
Two cats that belonged to Michigan dairy workers died after being infected with bird flu. But it's still not clear how the animals got sick or whether they spread the virus to people in the household, a new study shows. Veterinary experts said the report, published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lacks detail that could confirm whether people can spread the virus to domestic cats — or vice versa. 'I don't think there is any way of concluding that there was human-to-cat transmission based on the data that is presented,' said Dr. Diego Diel of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Cats in two separate households died in May after developing severe illnesses that were confirmed as the Type A H5N1 bird virus found in U.S. dairy herds, investigators reported. Both were indoor-only cats that had no exposure to infected cattle or birds and didn't consume raw milk. One cat that died belonged to a worker on a dairy farm in a county known to have bird flu-infected cattle. The worker reported symptoms of illness before the cat got sick. That cat fell ill, tested positive for H5N1 and had to be euthanized. A second cat in that household also got sick, but it recovered. A third cat in the household didn't get sick and tested negative. Meanwhile, an adolescent in the household got sick but tested negative for flu. The other cat that died lived in a different household. That pet belonged to a dairy worker who transported raw milk and reported frequent splashes of milk on the face, eyes and clothing. That worker reported eye irritation, a possible symptom of bird flu, two days before the cat got sick. The cat was known to roll in the worker's dirty clothing and died within a day of developing signs of infection, the study authors wrote. Another cat in that household tested negative for the virus. In both instances, the dairy workers declined to be tested for H5N1, the study said. That means it's impossible to know whether they directly transmitted the virus to their cats, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It's more likely that the cats were infected by virus on the workers' clothing, boots or hands, he said. 'We know that people at this point are not shedding large amounts of virus,' he said. 'I don't think it's because this person coughed on their cat.' The study concluded that reports of bird flu infections in indoor cats are rare, but 'such cats might pose a risk for human infection.' In the months since the cats died, there have been several reports of domestic cats becoming infected and dying after consuming unpasteurized milk or pet food contaminated with bird flu. The new report underscores the need for more comprehensive testing for H5N1 in all arenas, Poulsen said. ___
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The USDA is scrambling to rehire officials working to curb the spread of bird flu after firing them
The U.S. Department of Agriculture fired several personnel responsible for working to stop the spread of the H5N1 avian flu over the weekend. The agency is now trying to find and rehire those workers. The bird flu has affected more than 160 million birds nationally since 2022, contributing to rocketing egg prices and the endangerment of farm workers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to rehire employees it fired over the weekend, many of whom were part of the federal government's efforts to stop the spread of the virulent H5N1 avian flu that has killed millions of livestock and contributed to sky-high egg prices. "Although several positions supporting [bird flu efforts] were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters," a USDA spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. "USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission." The spokesperson said job categories within the USDA, such as veterinarians and emergency response personnel, were exempted from the sackings. The H5N1 avian flu has wrought havoc on U.S. agriculture. More than 162 million birds and nearly 1,000 dairy cow herds in the U.S. have been affected by the avian flu since 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USDA, which has contributed to about 20 million deaths of egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024 alone. About 70 people in the U.S. have contracted the disease since the 2022 outbreak; the CDC reported the first human death from H5N1 last month. The elimination of key USDA positions is part of an effort by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to cull thousands of government positions in an effort to overhaul bureaucracy and curb federal spending. Some USDA employees, including those from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office overseeing the response to animal-borne disease outbreaks, were notified Friday their jobs would be eliminated, Politico reported. 'They're the front line of surveillance for the entire outbreak,' Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told Politico. 'They're already underwater and they are constantly short-staffed, so if you take all the probationary staff out, you'll take out the capacity to do the work.' The USDA is the country's first line of defense in understanding and combating the avian flu because of its access to the farms battling the brunt of the virus's consequences, according to Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the pandemic center at the Brown University School of Public Health. The agency's surveillance efforts of farms, such as bulk testing raw milk for disease, is the primary means of gathering information about the virus and its spread. Beyond staff shortages siphoning resources from that work, the anxiety around sweeping personnel changes alone may prevent USDA employees from focusing on constraining the virus. 'With this changing policy environment and the uncertainty about all of the personnel, government worker personnel issues, agencies are spending a lot of their time just trying to navigate that highly chaotic and uncertain situation,' Nuzzo told Fortune, 'which I believe is interfering with their abilities to fulfill their statutory missions.' Besides firing thousands of public health workers, the Trump administration has also hampered response to the bird flu outbreak, with the CDC and USDA unable to hold congressional briefings, meet with state officials, or receive internal reports, according to multiple reports. The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. Nuzzo argued more than just federal workers should be alarmed by interruptions to USDA's work. 'Everybody knows about the price of eggs. Everybody knows how hard it is to even find eggs in the grocery store,' she said. 'Understanding how H5N1 is affecting animal populations is essential for protecting our agricultural interests.' Last week, egg prices hit a record high of $4.95 for a dozen Grade A eggs, its loftiest cost since the 2015 bird flu. The sustained demand for the staple amid surging prices has forced groceries to limit the number of eggs consumers buy and encouraged others to invest in backyard chickens. Farmers will also feel the economic strain. Beyond putting themselves at higher risk of disease by exposing themselves to animals, poultry farmers who detect H5N1 in their birds are forced to cull the entire flock to prevent disease spread, while dairy farmers may resort to selling their sick dairy cows as beef to cut financial losses. While farmers can receive government compensation for having to depopulate their farms, it doesn't make up for their total economic losses. The USDA spent half a billion dollars last year paying poultry farmers who had to cull their flocks because of H5N1. 'The agency that is best equipped to know how to protect those workers—because they understand how farms operate—is Agriculture,' Nuzzo said. 'So it is really important that USDA be a full, unrestrained, well-resourced partner in the work to protect these farm workers.' This story was originally featured on
