Tag Archives: bird flu

CNN Business reports: The soaring price of eggs has forced Waffle House to add a temporary surcharge on customers’ orders. The Georgia-based chain is adding a 50-cent charge per egg because of the “nationwide rise in cost of eggs,” according to signs posted at its restaurants. An aggressive strain of avian flu is hurting supply and causing prices to rise …

Axios reports: Dozens of newly confirmed cases of avian influenza in wild birds and the first verified U.S. case of a new strain of the virus are raising concern the bird flu crisis may be entering a troubling new phase. The outbreak is intensifying as the Trump administration maintains a pause on most external federal health agency communications, including publication …

Politico Europe reports: Bird flu poses an increasing pandemic threat as it becomes more adaptive, jumping to humans, pets and zoo animals, Europe’s disease and food agencies warned on Wednesday. They are urging countries to step up their surveillance and containment measures to prevent the virus from continuing to evolve and become more dangerous to people. “In 2024, avian influenza …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday its analysis of samples from the first severe case of bird flu in the country last week showed mutations not seen in samples from an infected backyard flock on the patient’s property. The CDC said the patient’s sample showed mutations in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, the part …

The New York Times reports: Twenty big cats, including a half-Bengal tiger and four cougars, died between late November and mid-December at a sanctuary in Washington State after becoming infected with bird flu, according to the facility’s director. “We’ve never had anything like it; they usually die basically of old age,” said Mark Mathews, the founder and director of the …

Via press release from the state of Oregon: The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is alerting pet owners that samples of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food tested positive for a H5N1 strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus. Testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) …

The New York Times reports: In recent weeks, the bird flu outbreak has wiped out flocks of egg-laying hens, causing wholesale prices to surge just as many Americans are planning holiday recipes that call for more eggs, like cookies, eggnog and latkes. As of Thursday, the average wholesale price for a dozen eggs in the United States was up more …

The New York Times reports: A fast-growing outbreak of avian flu has upended California’s dairy industry, the nation’s largest producer of milk, infecting most of the state’s herds and putting thousands of farmworkers at risk for contracting the virus. In just about four months, cows in 645 dairies in California have tested positive for H5N1, even as many ranchers have …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to rising cases of bird flu, the same day the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed a person in Louisiana had been hospitalized with a ‘‘severe’’ case of the disease. “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility …

Via press release from the CDC: A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”) infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13. Since …

Cedar Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced a disaster proclamation in Sioux and Palo Alto Counties. This come comes as the USDA has confirmed positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both of these counties. This marks the fifth detection of H5N1 HPAI in poultry within the state of Iowa in 2024. The Iowa Department …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: State health officials have issued another warning to Californians not to consume raw milk after the bird flu virus was detected in a second retail sample from Raw Farm LLC. The Fresno-based company has issued a voluntary recall of the affected milk lot code number 20241119, which has a Best By date of 12/07/2024 printed …

NBC News reports: Bird flu has been detected in a batch of raw milk sold in California stores and the state’s department of public health said Sunday that the public should not drink it. The virus was found during testing of a batch of cream top, whole raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC. The company has issued a voluntary recall …

Ars Technica reports: The US government will pay Moderna $176 million to develop an mRNA vaccine against a pandemic influenza—an award given as the highly pathogenic bird flu virus H5N1 continues to spread widely among US dairy cattle. The funding flows through BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, as part of a new Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) …

Reuters reports: Dairy cows infected with avian flu in five U.S. states have died or been slaughtered by farmers because they did not recover, state officials and academics told Reuters. Reports of the deaths suggest the bird flu outbreak in cows could take a greater economic toll in the farm belt than initially thought. Farmers have long culled poultry infected …

Austin’s NBC affiliate reports: The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Monday a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1), also known as bird flu, in the state. According to a press release from the department, the person had direct contact with dairy cattle presumed to be infected with avian influenza. DSHS did not specify where the person lives or …

Bloomberg News reports: An unusual number of cats are dying across Poland, and authorities found more than half of those tested harbored the worrisome strain of bird flu known as H5N1, the World Health Organization said. Of 47 samples tested — including one wild feline in captivity — 29 were positive for the H5N1 flu, marking the first report of …