Avian flu spreads

The nation is paying more attention to avian flu as it jumps from fowl to cows to humans. A third dairy worker in Michigan came down with the virus, reporting respiratory problems. This is of particular concern to epidemiologists because previous cases have been limited to eye infections. Coughing can spread the illness among humans.

Also, scientists discovered the flu virus in the meat of infected dairy cows. None of it is known to have entered the food supply chain. Cooking meat to medium kills the virus, health authorities say.

Of course, we are well familiar with avian flu that has repeatedly destroyed millions of chickens and turkeys for a decade. Yet we still have a dim understanding of precisely how the virus spreads, what role livestock concentration plays, and what the implications are for humans.

We do not routinely test cattle or dairy workers. Protective equipment is not deployed to livestock workers. We do not vaccinate egg-laying hens, although effective vaccines are available. Research funding into livestock disease has been stunted through a decade of mindless budget sequesters.

The main emphasis has been on biosecurity in and around confined livestock operations. When it fails, as it does, millions of chickens are disposed of. If workers in Texas and Michigan are infected, they presumably can spread it to others. That’s how pandemics begin. We are no better organized today than we were for Covid in 2019. Locking down the barn can’t keep out the bug, obviously. The industry and government must do more quickly to protect our food supply and public health. The USDA is moving to implement some livestock testing and is gearing up vaccine production. It’s not enough, as another turkey flock went down this week in Cherokee County.