H5N1 Influenza May Be Spreading Through Cows via Milking Rather Than Air, Experts Weigh In

The H5N1 bird flu outbreak in cows is likely being spread via milking rather than through respiration, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Cows infected through their udders had more severe disease and released more viral particles in their milk than those infected through their nose and mouth. Viral shedding through milk can reach nearly “1 billion per milliliter,” the study’s senior author, Jurgen A. Richt, distinguished professor at Kansas State University and director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases, told The Epoch Times. In contrast, the study found little evidence of viral shedding of H5N1 viruses through the respiratory tract. There was also no clear sign of airborne infections among calves....