Backyard sheep flocks in Vermont are sick with H5N1 agricultural officials Said on Thursday as follows: another Animal deaths related to bird flu have been reported this month. Beyond commercial farms and wildlife
United States Department of Agriculture And state regulators said they learned of the incident on Dec. 18 after a bird in a non-commercial flock died. The next day, they confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). ) H5N1 strain, and additional deaths occurred in a flock of 24 non-poultry birds. (Officials did not specify the type or type of birds.) The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) said it has quarantined and Kill the remaining birds later.
News of the sick birds came as the Oregon Department of Agriculture issued a statement. Link to death of house cat to the H5N1 strain detected in a Northwest Naturals brand of “raw and frozen pet food,” and in early December there was an outbreak at a wildlife sanctuary in Washington state. Kill 20 large cats.– The incident is part of a larger wave of H5N1 illnesses affecting poultry, cattle, cats and humans, as well as wild birds. However, Vermont officials said of the backyard dairy herd that “Laboratory testing confirms that this case of HPAI is not the strain affecting dairy herds in other states across the country.”
VAAFM adds, “Although HPAI is considered to pose a low risk to human health, But individuals who come into contact with infected birds or the environment will be investigated by the Vermont Department of Public Health.” Officials noted that this is the fourth backyard herd case to be disclosed in the state in recent years. Less than three years And they call on animal owners. protect their birds and cattle from H5N1 with “appropriate biosafety practices.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented this. in humans, 65 cases of H5 bird flu in the United States as of Dec. 24, almost all linked to dairy herds and poultry farms in California, Washington state and Colorado. The agency also said it was aware of Seven “probable cases” across California, Washington, Arizona and Delaware
Most human infections are mild, but the CDC confirms The first “severe” case in the United States at the beginning of December Officials linked the case to backyard poultry. It is not a person-to-person contact.
On its tracking website, the CDC writes, “Current public health risks However, the agency is advising people to avoid close contact with wild birds and any infected animals, and Stick to pasteurized dairy products.–