Bird flu could spread to cows outside US, head of WHO flu program says

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A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday there was a risk of H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States through migratory birds.

U.S. officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds in nine states since late March, and in one person in Texas.

"With the virus carried around the world by migratory birds, certainly there is a risk for cows in other countries to be getting infected," said Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's Global Influenza Programme at a news briefing in Geneva.

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Cows stand in their pen at a cattle farm in Rockford, Illinois, on April 9, 2024. U.S. officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds, nine states and one person. The World Health Organization said there was a risk of the bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States through migratory birds. (Reuters/Jim Vondruska/File Photo)

She reiterated that the U.N. agency deems the overall public health risk posed by the virus to be low but urged vigilance.

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Asked to evaluate U.S. transparency on the outbreak so far, Zhang said the global body had received regular updates and praised a decision to share the virus genetic sequence early.

"I do think the collaboration with U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the information we've received so far enables us to monitor the situation and to update the preparedness measures," she said.