Findings of Dr. Richt’s research on spread of H5N1 virus are detailed in JAMA article

October 17, 2024

Recent research conducted by the Director of the Center of Excellence For Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (www.ceezad.org) is the focus of an article published this week in JAMA Network, the online publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The article detailed findings of research concerning the spread of the H5N1 virus by Dr. Juergen A. Richt, who in addition to his duties at CEEZAD is also the Regents and University Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University. That research established that the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus spreads in cattle primarily through the mammary glands of lactating cows.

Dr. Richt’s findings were reported on in detail in a recently published article in the journal, Nature

H5N1 is primarily a disease of birds, but it can also affect mammals, among them pigs, cows and occasionally humans.

Since 2021 it has been also found in Canada and in the United States.

More than 1,100 flocks in 48 states have been affected by it, and about 100 million birds have been culled.

At the moment, there are more than 300 outbreaks in dairy cattle in the U.S. in 14 states, including four in Kansas.

You can read the full article by copying this link into your browser:

Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cows (nature.com)