Three months into bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, experts see deep-rooted problems in response Three months into the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, experts see deep-rooted problems in the government's response. Andrew Joseph STAT

Three months since an outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. dairy cattle was declared, the country is failing to take the necessary steps to get in front of the virus and possibly contain its spread among cows, according to interviews with more than a dozen experts and current and former government officials.

Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country in the world to do so. Reuters Reuters

...

Bird flu snapshot: USDA secretary urges farmers to take protective measures Read the second in a series of regular updates on H5N1 avian flu that STAT is publishing on Monday mornings. Megan Molteni STAT

As the H5N1 outbreak in dairy herds approaches the three-month mark, America’s top animal health official is calling on farmers to step up the use of personal protective equipment, limit traffic onto their farms, and increase cleaning and disinfection practices in their barns and milking parlors.

...

What’s Really Going on With Bird Flu Wastewater Data

Wastewater, which can measure how much virus humans excrete, has become a valuable disease-tracking tool.

But using that tool to track our current viral threat, the H5N1 bird flu that has begun circulating in cows, is much trickier. Finding even high levels of bird flu in wastewater does not necessarily mean an area is experiencing an outbreak. Rather, it sets off a hunt for the source.