Bird flu: Panic as newer, deadly strain emerges

A newer strain of H5N1 bird flu has spread to six dairy herds in Nevada, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture.

The new strain, D1.1, has been connected to serious infections in humans, though it is different from the strain, B3.13, that has been detected in other dairy herds throughout the country.

The newer strain – D1.1 – was first detected in birds and people who came in contact with infected birds. According to the CDC, around 957 dairy herds and more than 153 million poultry have been affected by types of bird flu in the United States. The virus has led to an egg shortage and higher prices for the grocery staple. Both the senior who died in January in Louisiana and the teenager in Canada who was hospitalized last fall were infected with the strain detected at the Nevada cattle farms.

The strain has also been detected in farm workers in Washington state who have culled infected poultry, though their symptoms were mild.

“It’s much easier to control virus spread when you’re talking about a virus spreading from cow to cow than controlling spread from birds to cows,” said Dr. Scott Hensley, a microbiologist who studies the flu virus at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN. Professor Bobbi Pritt of the Mayo Clinic issued similar warnings to the Daily Express US last month.

“If the virus were to mutate and gain the ability to efficiently spread from person to person, then this could result in a large outbreak or even a global pandemic,” she said.