CDC Releases Data Suggesting Bird Flu Spread Undetected in Cows and People

By: Jack Phillips

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data on Feb. 13 suggesting that highly pathogenic avian influenza spread undetected in cows and people.

The new study of cow veterinarians based on blood testing found that three of the 150 who signed up to be tested had antibodies against bird flu, indicating that they had been infected with the virus. They showed no symptoms, however, according to the CDC.

The study, released Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also said that two of those veterinarians were not exposed to animals known to be sick with bird flu, and the other vet that had bird flu antibodies was not practicing in a state where bird flu had been detected among cattle.

Those findings suggest there could be dairy cattle infected in more states than currently known, researchers also said.

None of the veterinarians reported flu symptoms or conjunctivitis, which has been a common symptom of bird flu among infected farmworkers, the CDC report said.

“These findings suggest the possible benefit of systematic surveillance for rapid identification of [the bird flu] virus in dairy cattle, milk, and humans who are exposed to cattle to ensure appropriate hazard assessments,” the CDC article said.

Bird flu has infected nearly 70 individuals in the United States since April 2024, with one death reported. Most of the infections were reported among dairy and farm workers who were exposed to infected cows or poultry.

The lone death, reported in Louisiana late last year, was of a man over the age of 65 with preexisting health issues, authorities have said.

Around the same time last year, California’s governor declared a state of emergency over the virus in what was described as a proactive action.

For months, human and animal health researchers have warned of undercounts of bird flu cases as farmers and workers have in some cases resisted testing. Farmers are worried about lost income due to quarantining their dairy herds if they test positive, and workers are concerned about lost pay from mandatory isolation and missed work.

The CDC has stressed that the current risk of bird flu for the general public is low.

The publication of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which is generally released every week, was paused for a period of time starting in mid-January after the Trump administration issued a directive pausing reports and posts made by federal health agencies until Feb. 1.

Meanwhile, health officials in Ohio have confirmed that a farmworker in Mercer County likely contracted bird flu after being exposed to deceased commercial poultry. No details were provided about the individual, including whether they were symptomatic.

“The risk of acquiring bird flu to the general U.S. population is low. The best way to prevent bird flu is to avoid direct contact with wild birds or sick or dead poultry or other animals,” state health officials said in a statement on Feb. 12.

Despite its relatively low risk to people, bird flu has forced the culling of millions of egg-laying chickens across the United States in recent months, prompting a spike in egg prices.

Recent federal data has shown that the price for a carton of Grade A eggs, on average, surged to $4.95, a record high, in January 2025.

(TheEpochTimes.com)