A dairy worker in Texas became infected with H5N1 avian influenza likely during the course of milking cows. A sample of the virus taken from the worke

H5N1 virus isolated from infected dairy worker is 100% lethal in ferrets, but does not appear to be circulating in nature anymore

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2024-10-30 02:30:04

A dairy worker in Texas became infected with H5N1 avian influenza likely during the course of milking cows. A sample of the virus taken from the worker was 100% lethal in ferrets, though it spread inefficiently and does not appear to be continuing to spread. Photo: Althea Dotzour

A strain of H5N1 avian influenza virus found in a Texas dairy worker who was infected this spring was able to spread among ferrets through the air, although inefficiently, and killed 100% of infected animals in studies University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers performed with the strain earlier this year.

The good news: the dairy worker experienced mild symptoms and fully recovered, and the H5N1 strain that infected the worker does not appear to have continued spreading in the wild.

Still, the findings highlight the risks posed by a virus that continues to spread among dairy cattle and occasionally to farm workers, and the study’s lead scientist says he was surprised by the ease with which this particular strain was able to kill ferrets.