Bird flu virus has been spreading among US cows for months, RNA reveals

Genomic analysis suggests that the outbreak probably began in December or January, but a shortage of data is hampering efforts to pin down the source.

A strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has silently been spreading among US cattle for months, according to preliminary analysis of genomic data. The outbreak likely began when the virus jumped from an infected bird to a cow, probably around late last December or early January. This implies a protracted, undetected spread of the virus — suggesting that more cattle than currently reported, across the United States and even in neighbouring regions, could have been infected with avian influenza.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01256-5

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