Health

Dairy Workers May Have Passed Bird Flu to Pet Cats, CDC Study Suggests

Published

11 months ago

February 20, 2025

Dairy Workers May Have Passed Bird Flu to Pet Cats, CDC Study Suggests

Two dairy workers in Michigan may have transmitted bird flu to their pet cats last May, suggests a new study published on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In one household, infected cats may also have passed the virus to other people in the home, but limited evidence makes it difficult to ascertain the possibility.

The results are from a study that was scheduled to be published in January but was delayed by the Trump administration’s pause on communications from the C.D.C.

A single data table from the new report briefly appeared online two weeks ago in a paper on the wildfires in California, then quickly disappeared. That odd incident prompted calls from public health experts for the study’s release.

The new paper still leaves major questions unanswered, including how the cats first became infected and whether farmworkers spread the virus to the cats and to other people in the household, experts said.

“I don’t think we can say for sure if this is human-to-cat or cat-to-human or cat-from-something-else,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health.

Officials in Michigan began investigating two households last May when exclusively indoor cats showed respiratory and neurological symptoms and, after death, tested positive for the virus, called H5N1. The officials interviewed the cats’ owners and household members and offered to test them for the virus.

The owners of both cats were dairy workers. The first farmworker did not work with cows directly, and the farm was not known to have infected herds. But the worker reported that many of the barn cats on the farm’s premises recently died. The worker also reported having experienced vomiting and diarrhea before the first household cat became ill.

The second farmworker reported being splashed in the face and eyes with milk and experiencing eye irritation. Both workers declined to be tested.

“This study provides yet more concerning evidence that farmworkers with high-risk exposures may refuse testing,” Dr. Nuzzo said.

“In order to protect people and stay ahead of this virus, we need to remove disincentives for patients to get tested,” she added. “People should not fear that testing positive will cause financial distress or other personal harms.”

In the household of the first farmworker, the first cat to become ill showed decreased appetite, lack of grooming, abnormal gait and lethargy, and quickly deteriorated. She was euthanized on the fourth day of illness.

A second cat in the household developed watery eye discharge, rapid breathing and decreased appetite four days after the first cat became ill. This cat recovered and was not tested for the virus. A third cat had no symptoms and tested negative for the virus 11 days after the first cat became ill.

Neither the cats nor the humans in the household drank unpasteurized milk. How the cats might have become infected is unclear, but experts said that the farmworkers were likely to have become infected with H5N1 at their workplace and to have brought the virus home to their cats.

“If you love your cat, you probably give it head kisses if it lets you,” said Kristen K. Coleman, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Maryland.

Three people in the household — an adult and two adolescents — tested negative for H5N1. Six days after the first cat became sick, one of the adolescents became ill with a cough, sore throat and body aches, and the other reported a cough that was attributed to allergies.

But because the adolescents were tested late — 11 days after the first cat became sick — it was not impossible that they became infected with H5N1 that they picked up from the cats, Dr. Coleman said.

Later in May, a pet cat in the second household developed severe neurological symptoms, including anorexia and minimal movement, and died within a day; the cat tested positive for bird flu after its death.

The cat’s owner transported unpasteurized milk, including from farms with known bird flu outbreaks. According to the study, the owner “did not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while handling raw milk; reported frequent milk splash exposures to the face, eyes and clothing; and did not remove work clothing before entering the home when returning from work.”

The cat that became ill was known to “roll in the owner’s work clothes,” the study noted.

Virus in raw milk splattered on those clothes may be the source of infection in the cat, said Dr. Keith Poulsen, the director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

“At this point, I think the higher risk is their exposure from raw dairy products,” he said. “There’s so much virus in the milk.”

Of 24 veterinary staff members who were potentially exposed to the infected cats, seven reported symptoms such as nasal congestion and headache. Only five agreed to testing; all were negative.

Dr. Coleman recommended that veterinarians remain alert to the possibility of bird flu infections when they see sick cats. “Pet owners should not have to rely on postmortem sampling to get a diagnosis,” she said.

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Health

What your butt shape could reveal about your health, according to scientists

Published

43 minutes ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

What your butt shape could reveal about your health, according to scientists

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

An often-overlooked part of the body may reveal important clues about overall health.

Researchers from the University of Westminster in the U.K. discovered that the shape of the gluteus maximus muscle in the buttocks changes with age, gender, lifestyle and frailty, as well as certain conditions like osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes.

Using advanced MRI scans that create 3D images, researchers revealed “distinct” patterns in the gluteus maximus associated with type 2 diabetes.

HOW TO AVOID GETTING ‘OFFICE CHAIR BUTT’ FROM PROLONGED SITTING AT WORK

This suggested that the shape of the muscle, rather than the size, may “reflect underlying metabolic differences,” a press release stated.

The findings were presented in December at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.

Butt shape may indicate underlying health conditions, according to new research. (iStock)

Unlike previous studies looking at muscle size or fat, the 3D imaging identified exactly where the muscle changes occur, according to the researchers.

As one of the largest muscles in the human body, the gluteus maximus “plays a key role” in metabolic health, according to lead study author E. Louise Thomas, Ph.D., professor of metabolic imaging at the University of Westminster’s School of Life Sciences.

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The researchers analyzed more than 61,000 MRI scans from a large UK health database to better understand the muscle’s structure.

The data also included the participants’ physical measurements, demographics, disease biomarkers, medical history and lifestyle habits. The researchers studied how these variables were linked to muscle shape over time.

An infographic from the Radiological Society of North America presentation displays research findings on the shape of the gluteus maximus. (RSNA)

“People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape, while aging, frailty and long sitting times were linked to muscle thinning,” study co-author Marjola Thanaj, Ph.D., a senior research fellow at the University of Westminster’s Research Centre for Optimal Health, said in the release.

5 FITNESS TRENDS THAT WENT VIRAL IN 2025 – EXPERTS WEIGH HYPE VS RESULTS

The researchers concluded that butt shape changes may indicate an “early functional decline” and “metabolic compromise” in type 2 diabetes patients.

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Men with type 2 diabetes showed muscle shrinkage, while women displayed enlarged muscle, likely due to “infiltration of fat” within it, according to the researchers.

These results suggest that men and women have “very different biological responses to the same disease,” Thanaj suggested.

Butt shape changes may indicate an “early functional decline” and “metabolic compromise” in type 2 diabetes patients. (iStock)

Men who were categorized as “frail” were recognized as having more “general shrinkage” across the gluteus maximus, but women experienced a “limited” frailty effect.

Building strong glutes for better health

Strengthening the glutes is an “investment in long-term health,” according to Tanya Becker, co-founder of Physique 57 in New York City.

“While full-body strength training is essential, focusing on your glutes — the largest muscle group in your body — deserves special attention,” she told Fox News Digital.

“While full-body strength training is essential, focusing on your glutes — the largest muscle group in your body — deserves special attention.” (iStock)

Becker refers to the glutes as the body’s “shock absorbers,” because they protect the lower back, knees and hips from taking on stress they weren’t designed to handle.

Larger muscle groups also burn more calories and help regulate blood sugar, the expert added, noting that muscles are often referred to as the “organ of longevity.”

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Strengthening the glutes also helps to protect the lower back, hips and knees, and also improves posture and balance, reducing the risk of falls and improving mobility.

“People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape.”

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Becker recommends traditional weighted exercises like squats, lunges and bridges, although they are not suited for everyone, especially older adults with injuries and joint pain.

“Pilates and barre classes offer bodyweight exercises that are ideal for beginners or individuals with physical limitations,” she suggested. “They can be done anytime, anywhere, making them accessible for beginners before progressing to weighted versions.”

Glute bridges (demonstrated above) are a recommended exercise for strengthening those muscles. (iStock)

Becker shared the following three glute exercises that improve hip mobility, stability and overall strength.

No. 1: Quadruped leg lifts (strengthens entire core and glutes)

Start on the hands and knees, engage your core, and lift one leg off the floor (bent or straight). Pulse up and down a few inches for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.

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No. 2: Clamshells (strengthens gluteus medius)

Lie on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees in front of you. Lift your top knee away from your bottom knee, then lower slowly.

For an increased challenge, lift both feet off the ground while keeping the heels together. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds per side.

Strong muscles are responsible for maintaining metabolic health, according to Becker. (iStock)

No. 3: Glute bridges (strengthens lower back and glutes)

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet parallel, a few inches from your hips. Engage your abs, and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips toward knee height, then lower.

If you feel pressure in your neck, you’ve lifted too high. Perform for 30 to 60 seconds. Complete three sets with 30-second rests between them.

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Those looking to start a new fitness routine should first consult with a doctor.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

Viral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits

Published

13 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Viral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

What if your New Year’s resolution could fit inside a tote bag? Social media users are trying the “analog bag” trend, replacing phones with offline activities.

The trend is widely credited to TikTok creator Sierra Campbell, who posted about her own analog bag — containing a crossword book, portable watercolor set, Polaroid camera, planner and knitting supplies — and encouraged followers to make their own.

Her video prompted many others to share their own versions, with items like magazines, decks of cards, paints, needlepoint and puzzle books.

CREATIVE HOBBIES KEEP THE BRAIN YOUNG, STUDY FINDS — HERE ARE THE BEST ONES TO PURSUE

“I made a bag of non-digital activities to occupy my hands instead of the phone,” said Campbell, adding that the practice has significantly cut her screen time and filled her life with “creative and communal pursuits that don’t include doom-scrolling.”

“I created the analog bag after learning the only way to change a habit is to replace it with another,” she told Fox News Digital.

Social media users are trying the “analog bag” trend, replacing phones with offline activities like cameras, notebooks and magazines. (Fox News Digital)

The science of healthier habits

Research on habit formation supports the idea of the analog bag, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, a California-based psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics.

“Your brain is a creature of habit,” Amen said during an interview with Fox News Digital. “Neurons that fire together wire together, meaning that every time you repeat a behavior, whether it’s good or bad, you strengthen the neural pathways that make it easier to do it again.”

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Studies show that habits are automatic responses to specific cues — such as boredom, stress or idle time — that typically deliver some kind of reward, according to the doctor. When no alternative behavior is available, people tend to fall back on the same routine, often without realizing it.

Research suggests that replacing an old habit with a new one tied to the same cue is more effective than trying to suppress the behavior altogether.

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“[When] cutting out coffee — you need to have another drink to grab for, not just quit cold turkey. It’s how the pathways in our brains work,” Campbell said.

By substituting a different routine that still provides stimulation and engagement, people can gradually weaken the original habit and build a new automatic response.

Substituting another activity instead of scrolling on your phone can help quell the impulse to reach for it. (iStock)

“Simply stopping a behavior is very challenging,” Amen said. “Replacing one habit with something that is better for your brain is much easier. That’s how lasting change happens, one step at a time.”

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If alternatives are within arm’s reach, people will be more likely to use them, the doctor said. “Your brain does much better with small, simple actions than big, vague intentions.”

Instead of saying, “I’ll stop scrolling today,” the doctor recommends choosing a small habit you can do in a few moments in specific situations, like knitting 10 rows of a scarf on your commute or reading a few pages of a book while waiting at the doctor’s office.

“If alternatives are within arm’s reach, you’re more likely to use them,” a brain doctor said. “Your brain does much better with small, simple actions than big, vague intentions.” (iStock)

Campbell shared her own examples of how to use an analog bag. At a coffee shop with friends, she said, she might pull out a crossword puzzle and ask others to help with answers when the conversation lulls.

Instead of taking dozens of photos on her phone, she uses an instant camera, which limits shots and encourages more intentional moments.

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In casual outdoor settings, such as a park or winery, she brings a small watercolor set for a quick creative outlet.

“It’s brought so much joy,” Campbell said of the analog bag trend, “seeing how it resonates with so many.”

Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.

Health

Experts Call It 2026’s Best Diet— ‘The Results Are Often Stunning’

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Experts Call It 2026’s Best Diet— ‘The Results Are Often Stunning’

Best Diet of 2026 Doubles Weight Loss, Burns Belly Fat Fast| Woman’s World

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