Octopus Overlords

Two dairy workers in Michigan may have transmitted bird flu to their pet cats last May, suggests a new study published on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In one household, infected cats may also have passed the virus to other people in the home, but limited evidence makes it difficult to ascertain the possibility.

The results are from a study that was scheduled to be published in January but was delayed by the Trump administration’s pause on communications from the C.D.C.

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“I don’t think we can say for sure if this is human-to-cat or cat-to-human or cat-from-something-else,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health.

“In order to protect people and stay ahead of this virus, we need to remove disincentives for patients to get tested,” she added. “People should not fear that testing positive will cause financial distress or other personal harms.”

The cat’s owner transported unpasteurized milk, including from farms with known bird flu outbreaks. According to the study, the owner “did not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while handling raw milk; reported frequent milk splash exposures to the face, eyes and clothing; and did not remove work clothing before entering the home when returning from work.”

The cat that became ill was known to “roll in the owner’s work clothes,” the study noted.

Virus in raw milk splattered on those clothes may be the source of infection in the cat, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, the director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Isgrimnur wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2025 7:39 pm We'll finally go vegetarian as a society!

Another threat to entomophagy is the potential role of insects as biological and mechanical vectors of human and animal pathogens. Persistent risks may include Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Insects can also act as intermediate hosts or mechanical vectors for parasites, for example, protozoa or tapeworms. However, a similar phenomenon may occur in conventional livestock; therefore, with the application of Good Practice for Farm Animal Breeding, biosecurity, and appropriate sanitary and veterinary regulations, this threat can be easily eliminated.

Isgrimnur wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2025 7:39 pm We'll finally go vegetarian as a society!

Isgrimnur wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2025 8:37 pm But who's going to enforce those standards, kid?

As the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues, scientists are working to better understand the virus’s threat to human health. The virus has been found in dairy cows’ milk and has infected farm workers, prompting scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to study potential treatments. Results showed that in a preclinical model, two FDA–approved flu antivirals generally did not successfully treat severe H5N1 infections. Additionally, the researchers found that the route of infection, whether through the eye, the nose or the mouth, significantly impacts a treatment’s effectiveness. The findings were published today in Nature Microbiology.

“Our evidence suggests that it is likely going to be hard to treat people severely infected with this bovine H5N1 bird flu strain,” said corresponding author Richard Webby, PhD, St. Jude Department of Host-Microbe Interactions. “Instead, reducing infection risk by not drinking raw milk and reducing dairy farm workers’ exposures, for example, may be the most effective interventions.”

Blackhawk wrote: Wed Mar 19, 2025 4:47 pm Then, after 65% of the population is dead, you'll know who's got immunity!

Dogstar wrote: Wed Mar 19, 2025 4:19 pm https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news ... flu-spread

“Let it spread to identify natural immunity.” What a novel approach to a pathogen. Not likely to have any negative effects whatsoever.