Discovery of bird flu in cows for the first time in the world

Discovery of :

bird flu in cows for the first time in the world

US health officials have announced the discovery of avian flu for

the first time in cows, but say the risk of the virus to people remains low.

Cows in three U.S. :

states, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico, have tested positive for

the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has killed millions of birds worldwide.

• None of the cows who had contracted the disease had died. The U.S.

• Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that

• the country's commercial milk supply is safe.

The USDA said in a statement:

At this stage :

there is no concern about the safety of commercial milk supplies or that

this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health."

In all three states, the virus appears to affect older cows

causing reduced milk production and loss of appetite.

Animal food veterinarian Michael Payne and biosecurity expert said

the virus appeared to infect about 10% of milk cows in herds.

• Cows seem to recover on their own within seven to 10 days

• different from the outbreak of bird flu in poultry

• which requires killing herds to get rid of the virus.

The USDA confirmed that :

only healthy animal milk is allowed into food supplies

while milk is diverted from or destroyed by sick animals.

The USDA explained that :

in rare cases where contaminated milk enters the food supply

the pasteurization process kills viruses and other bacteria.

The Texas Health :

Commission has launched an investigation into the outbreak.

US officials believe cows have contracted the virus from infected wild birds.

Experts said their tests on livestock had not detected any changes in

the virus that would make it more easily spread among people.

Bird flu was also detected in goats in Minnesota

the first such case to be detected in the United States.