Author: Claudinne Miller
US CDC asks states to make worker protective gear available to combat bird flu
Reuters The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it had met with state health officials and asked them to facilitate distribution of protective gear for farm workers to avoid infection against H5N1 bird flu. The CDC said it asked state health departments to work with their agriculture department counterparts and […]
May 7, 2024
FDA Needs More Up-to-Date Information Before Finalizing COVID-19 Vaccines for 2024-2025
Precision Vaccinations The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced on X a change of date for its May 16, 2024, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting. The VRBPAC is now scheduled to meet on June 5, 2024, to recommend the inclusion of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strain(s) in the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines. @FDACBER stated the VRBPAC […]
May 7, 2024
To stop a pandemic before it starts, protect dairy workers from H5N1
Washington Post Opinion Failure to shield farmworkers could allow the H5N1 virus to become a greater threat. The discovery of bird flu virus particles in milk has moved the federal government to take more aggressive action to prevent the further spread of H5N1 on dairy farms. The Agriculture Department has rightly issued new testing recommendations meant to […]
May 7, 2024
US to test ground beef in states with bird-flu outbreaks in dairy cows
Reuters The U.S. government said on Monday it is collecting samples of ground beef at retail stores in states with outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows for testing, but remains confident the meat supply is safe. Federal officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in […]
May 1, 2024
Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
AP The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had […]
May 1, 2024
What to Know About the ‘FLiRT’ Variants of COVID-19
Time The COVID-19 lull in the U.S. may soon come to an end, as a new family of SARS-CoV-2 variants—nicknamed “FLiRT” variants—begins to spread nationwide. These variants are distant Omicron relatives that spun out from JN.1, the variant behind the surge in cases this past winter. They’ve been dubbed “FLiRT” variants based on the technical names for their […]
May 1, 2024
The Bird Flu Outbreak Has More Questions Than Answers
Bloomberg Opinion As the magnitude of the bird flu outbreak in cattle becomes clearer, so does the need to quickly get a firmer grip on some basic facts. Namely, how far this H5N1 virus has spread, how it is spreading, and where this situation is likely to go next. The Covid-weary public also wants to […]
May 1, 2024
Deadly tick-borne disease confirmed in Mass. town
MASS Live A rare deadly tick-borne disease was confirmed in a Massachusetts town. Powassan virus, according to a release. And they are warning residents to take precautions. Powassan virus, like Lyme, is transmitted through infected ticks. The virus is considered rare, but the health department said the number of reported cases of people sick from […]
May 1, 2024
More than half of cats died after drinking raw milk from bird flu-infected cows
CBS News Video
May 1, 2024
If Bird Flu Spreads, These Workers Will See It First
NYT H5N1 is in a better position than ever to move between species and spill over aggressively into humans: This bird flu virus is now thought to have been spreading among dairy cows for many months, and federal regulators have found viral fragments circulating widely in the commercial milk supply chain across the United States (though live virus […]
May 1, 2024