Viruses are adaptable and pay little attention to their names: bird flu antibodies have now been detected in a cow in the Netherlands. According to that Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) This is the first detection of the H5N1 virus worldwide outside the USA.
There is initially no direct risk for consumers. The report from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture to Parliament shows that the sick cow’s milk was not sold. In any case, milk is heated and pasteurized before it is sold – thereby killing the viruses. In the USAwhere bird flu is common in cows, authorities advise against consuming raw milk products.
Cows often suffer from inflamed udders when infected with bird flu, but they usually recover. In most other animals, the virus occurs primarily in the brain. Another exception is humans: In our country, bird flu manifests itself primarily through symptoms in the eyes and respiratory tract. The current H5N1 variant has only occasionally led to death, mostly in people with previous illnesses, says Martin Beer, Vice President of the FLI, to the taz. There have been no such cases in Germany yet.
A spokesman for the Dairy Industry Association (MIV) also tells the taz: “According to our knowledge, these events do not pose any danger.”
Dead cat gave the clue
According to the Agriculture Ministry report, a cat died on the farm at the end of December. Investigations revealed an infection with bird flu. Tests on the farm’s cows followed on January 15th. The result: antibodies against H5N1. At this point, none of the animals had any symptoms. Tests a few days later failed to detect any further infections. Follow-up examinations are to follow for five samples.
It is still unclear how the cat and cow on the Dutch farm became infected. According to Beer, the animals could have become infected from infected birds. They could have contaminated the cows’ water, feed or milking utensils with their feces. “The risk of transmission from birds to humans or cows is still very low,” says Beer. What happened in the Netherlands was an isolated case. “We knew that this could happen,” said Beer.
The last time there was a major outbreak of bird flu in Europe was in the fall. However, due to infections in recent years, some of the birds are immunized and infected animals are difficult to identify, says Beer. Bird flu can spread widely through animal feces.
Mammals were twice as likely to become infected
Sea of a report According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), bird flu outbreaks in mammals will be more than twice as common in 2024 as in the previous year: from fewer than 500 to over 1,000 infections. Beer says he sees this increase as the tip of a wave of bird flu infections. The risk of transmission from birds to kept mammals remains low.
According to the WOAH report, the risk of infection for people remains low – but it is increasing Mammals become infected with bird fluthe more likely it is that the virus will adapt and be able to be transmitted from mammal to mammal.