Health
Texas cats die on dairy farm after drinking raw milk contaminated with bird flu, CDC warns
A cluster of cats on a Texas dairy farm died after drinking raw milk from dairy cows affected with bird flu, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The felines developed “fatal systemic influenza infection” after drinking the unpasteurized colostrum and milk from cows that tested positive for the virus.
Initally, the cats developed signs of sickness that included “a depressed mental state, stiff body movements, ataxia (impaired coordination), blindness, circling and copious oculonasal discharge,” the report said.
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The felines also showed neurological effects during exams.
Of some 24 cats that were given the raw milk from the diseased cows, around half of them died between March 19 and March 20, said the report, which was released on Monday.
A cluster of cats on a Texas dairy farm (not pictured) died after drinking raw milk from dairy cows affected by bird flu, according to a CDC report. (iStock)
Most cats became sick within two or three days after exposure.
Tissue samples from two of the deceased cats tested positive for HPAI H5N1 virus on March 21, the CDC noted.
While exposure to dead wild birds “cannot be completely ruled out” as a source of the virus, the report stated that milk and colostrum are a “likely route of exposure.”
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This is based on “the known consumption of unpasteurized milk and colostrum from infected cows,” as well as the high amount of “virus nucleic acid” within the milk.
“The death of the cats suggests that avian flu can cause illness due to ingestion,” said Edward Liu, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The felines in Texas (not pictured) developed “fatal systemic influenza infection” after drinking the unpasteurized colostrum and milk from cows that tested positive for the virus. (iStock)
“This is interesting, as many respiratory viruses are optimized for infection via mucous membranes, like the nose and mouth.”
The report reinforced the need to ingest pasteurized milk exclusively, Liu said.
“I can think of no reason to drink raw milk.”
Pasteurization eliminates risk, experts say
Before milk can be sold commercially, government regulations require it to be pasteurized.
During the pasteurization process, raw milk is heated to a certain temperature for a brief period of time and is then chilled again, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) website.
This process kills any pathogens and ensures that milk is safe to drink.
“I can think of no reason to drink raw milk.”
“In the U.S., commercial intrastate sold milk is required to be pasteurized,” Dr. Scott Pegan, professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside and a biochemist for the United States Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, told Fox News Digital last week.
“This process is geared to kill viruses like H5N1 and other bacteria that can pose a threat to human health.”
The cats (not pictured) initially developed signs of sickness that included “a depressed mental state, stiff body movements, ataxia (impaired coordination), blindness, circling and copious oculonasal discharge,” the CDC report said. (iStock)
“Milk that has been pasteurized is safe and there is no current reason to avoid it or other pasteurized milk products,” Pegan went on.
“However, there is a substantial risk of consuming unpasteurized milk and products of that milk.”
Even after viruses and bacteria have been killed in pasteurized milk, remnants can remain in the milk, he said — but they are not dangerous.
The FDA’s recommendations
Last week, the FDA restated its “long-standing recommendation” that consumers avoid drinking raw milk that has not been pasteurized.
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The agency also recommended that companies refrain from manufacturing or selling raw milk or raw milk products made with milk from cows that tested positive for bird flu, were exposed to the virus or showed symptoms of illness.
“Milk that has been pasteurized is safe and there is no current reason to avoid it or other pasteurized milk products,” an expert said. (iStock)
The FDA also urged producers to “take precautions” when discarding milk from affected cows, “so that the discarded milk does not become a source of further spread.”
So far, only one person is confirmed to have contracted the virus after exposure to infected cows, the FDA said.
“The CDC says the risk to the general public remains low,” the agency said.
“The FDA and USDA continue to indicate that, based on the information we currently have, our commercial milk supply is safe.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday that a second H5N1 bird flu case has been identified by officials.
A 55-year-old Michigan dairy worker became ill after working with H5N1-infected cattle, the CDC said in a press release. While an upper respiratory tract sample tested negative, a specimen from his eye confirmed the H5N1 bird flu infection.
A Texas farm worker was diagnosed with the disease in March. Both the Michigan and Texas patients suffered from conjunctivitis, or pink eye. Neither showed signs of a respiratory infection.
“Conjunctivitis (eye infection) has been associated with previous human infections with avian influenza A viruses and is part of the current CDC case definition for A(H5N1) surveillance,” the CDC explained in a Wednesday press release.
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At least two farm workers have been infected with H5N1 bird flu this year. (iStock)
“While it’s not known exactly how eye infections result from avian influenza exposures, it may be from contamination of the eye(s), potentially with a splash of contaminated fluid, or touching the eye(s) with something contaminated with A(H5N1) virus, such as a hand.”
The Texas case marked the first human case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States. Globally, it was the first time a human caught H5 bird flu from a cow.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found that at least 49 dairy herds across nine states have been exposed to H5N1. On Wednesday, the CDC maintained that the health risk that H5N1 bird flu poses to humans is still low.
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Fatinah Albeez, a research associate with the Broad Institute’s Sabeti lab, works with milk samples in May 2024. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“Based on the information available, this infection does not change CDC’s current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the agency considers to be low.,” the CDC said. “However, this development underscores the importance of recommended precautions in people with exposure to infected or potentially infected animals.”
Officials are still monitoring the outbreak, but maintain that pasteurized milk is safe to drink.
“I can say without reservation that our commercial milk and meat supplies are safe,” USDA official Eric Deeble said during a briefing on May 16. “At no time were animals that are sick from H5N1 or any other animal disease permitted to enter into our food supply.”
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Jon Arizti Sanz, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow working in the lab to test bird flu samples in May 2024.
The CDC is encouraging Americans to avoid exposure to dead animals and animal waste. Officials also discourage drinking raw milk.
“Following these recommendations is central to reducing a person’s risk and containing the overall public health risk,” the organization advised.
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Ninety percent of paralyzed patients regained strength or function in their upper limbs after receiving an experimental therapy, a new study found.
After receiving spinal cord simulation from ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX system, the participants saw “significant improvement” in their hand and arm function, according to a press release.
The study, published on Monday in Nature Medicine, included 65 participants at 14 leading spinal cord injury centers in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
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The participants received non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord using ARC-EX, and then researchers gauged the safety and effectiveness of the system.
Improvement was seen even in people whose injuries occurred up to 34 years ago, the release stated.
After receiving spinal cord simulation from ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX system, the participants saw “significant improvement” in hand and arm function, according to a new study. (Nature Medicine)
“When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, after two to three months of rehabilitation, they are sent home and told there is nothing further that can be done,” Dave Marver, CEO of ONWARD Medical, told Fox News Digital.
The company is global; its main headquarters is in The Netherlands.
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“This week’s publication in Nature Medicine heralds a new era in spinal cord injury care. The Up-LIFT trial demonstrated that ONWARD ARC therapy can restore strength and function of the hands and arms up to 34 years after a spinal cord injury.”
“This is a game-changer for the spinal cord injury community and their loved ones.”
Improvement was seen even in people whose injuries occurred up to 34 years ago, the release stated. (iStock)
The trial results far exceeded the researchers’ expected 50% response rate — giving “new hope” to people with SCI, noted lead study author Chet Moritz, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington, in the release.
After two months, more than half the paralyzed participants regained enough “grasp force” to lift up a filled cup, pick up an item with a fork or insert a key, according to Moritz.
“This is a game-changer for the spinal cord injury community and their loved ones.”
“This indicates not only improved strength and function, but also the potential for greater independence with ARC-EX Therapy,” he said.
Additional benefits included reduced muscle spasms, improved sleep and a greater sense of touch in the upper body, the release said.
Eighty-seven percent of the participants reported having an improved quality of life after receiving the therapy.
After two months, more than half of the paralyzed participants regained enough “grasp force” to lift up a filled cup, the study noted. (iStock)
“Improvement in arm and hand function is among the highest priorities for people with tetraplegia (paralysis in the upper and lower body) who have endured far too long without effective therapies for functional recovery,” Marver, the company CEO, said in the release.
“The findings published in Nature Medicine provide critical and compelling evidence that ARC-EX has the potential to restore independence in daily activities and improve [the patients’] quality of life.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the trial but commented on the results.
“This has been tried for many years with reports that it helps, but it has not yet gone mainstream in patients with upper and lower spinal cord paralysis,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Improvement in arm and hand function is among the highest priorities for people with tetraplegia.”
“This small study in a very prominent journal is very encouraging in terms of some return of upper extremity function,” Siegel continued.
“It warrants further study and more universal use in these patients.”
It’s possible that this type of spinal cord stimulation could be combined with the increasing use of other brain and spine interfaces to restore function, the doctor added.
ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX system, pictured here, performs non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. (ONWARD Medical)
John Hinson, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon in Florida, was also not involved in the study but shared his insights on the findings.
“Patients with incomplete quadriplegia can be left with weakness and muscle spasm, as well as sensory changes that can cause significant loss of function,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Traditional treatments for these injuries have included physical therapy, he noted, but results can be limited.
“Review of the trial results shows that by two months of use, over half of the patients showed significant functional improvement in activities such as grasping and pinching required for basic daily tasks,” Hinson said.
“If these results can be predictably achieved, it would greatly improve the lives of patients with spinal cord injuries that resulted in incomplete quadriplegia.”
Traditional treatments for these injuries have included physical therapy, but results can be limited, one doctor noted. (iStock)
This could potentially be a “big factor” in the treatment of these patients, according to Hinson.
ONWARD has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain approval for the ARC-EX system, with clearance expected later this year.
“We are laser-focused on our commitment to bringing this first-of-its-kind technology to the SCI community as soon as possible,” Marver said.
The ARC-EX System will require a prescription from a qualified health care professional once it is cleared for use, according to the company.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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