CDC Study Finds Silent Bird Flu Infections in Dairy Veterinarians

Last updated: February 14, 2025 12:52 am

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The vets had no symptoms, and one worked only in states where no dairy infections had been reported.

Since the bird flu outbreak in dairy cows was first reported last March, the virus has been confirmed in more than 950 herds in 16 states. Credit… Tim Gruber for The New York Times Feb. 13, 2025

Three dairy veterinarians, including one who worked only in states with no known bird flu outbreaks in cows, had recent, undetected bird flu infections, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are based on antibody testing of 150 veterinarians working in 46 U.S. states.

The findings were not entirely surprising, experts said, but did suggest that the virus, known as H5N1, could be infecting cows and people in more states than have been officially reported.

“We do not know the extent of this outbreak in the U.S.,” said Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Emory University. “There are clearly infections happening that we’re missing.”

Since the bird flu outbreak in dairy cows was first reported last March, the virus has been confirmed in more than 950 herds in 16 states. It has also been detected in 68 people, 41 of whom had contact with sick cows. Most people have had mild symptoms.

The new study, which was published in the C.D.C.’s flagship Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, was initially slated for publication several weeks ago but was delayed by the Trump administration’s pause on public communications from health and science agencies.

“It’s important for public health preparedness that we have this data,” said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, the director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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