A new highly pathogenic strain of the bird flu, H5N9, has been discovered in California, raising concerns among agricultural and health officials. This strain is more virulent for birds and other farm animals, but currently, it doesn’t pose a greater risk to humans.
According to experts, the mutation of this strain could lead to long-term effects on poultry supply and food prices. The outbreak has already led to significant scarcity, with the euthanasia of approximately 40 million birds nationally and 17 million in California.
California’s health department notes that people who work with infected dairy cows or raw milk should use protective gear to reduce the risk of getting bird flu. However, experts emphasize that avian diseases tend to be hard to contract for mammals because of our physiology being very different.
The outbreak began picking up steam in California last year and has since spread to domestic cats, making it an unexpected turn. Experts speculate that developing an avian flu vaccine for livestock could help control the spread, but this solution may come with trade complications.
As a result, prices for a regular carton of eggs have hit an all-time high in California, and those prices are expected to continue rising as the outbreak continues. The US has experienced significant bird flu outbreaks since 2022, particularly in California, which is considered a major concern among experts.
Source: https://patch.com/california/across-ca/bird-flu-symptoms-new-strain-discovered-ca-outbreaks-spread