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Individual working on a U.S. dairy farm reported to have avian influenza

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has now confirmed a human case of avian influenza with an individual that had contact with dairy cows that were believed to have the virus.

The individual's only symptom seemed to be eye inflammation.

The H5N1 bird flu human health risk for the U.S. is still considered to be low, however they note the risk is higher for anyone exposed to infected birds or animals.

Last week, the USDA confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza had been detected in some dairy herds across several states ...  including Texas, Kansas, Michigan, and most recently in New Mexico and Idaho.

The USDA confirms wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of the infection.

Producers with the affected cows have reported a rapid onset illness in the herd, specifically among older, lactating cows.

Dairy farmers and veterinarians report that most affected cows recover in about two to three weeks.

Even though its only been found in dairy cattle it resulted in some market uncertainty in the US beef market earlier this week, while the hog markets seemed to gain some ground.

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2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.