A U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu has died, the Louisiana Department of Health said on Monday, marking the country's first reported human death from the virus.
Louisiana reports first bird flu-related death in US
US to research possible respiratory spread of bird flu in cows
U.S. federal and state agencies are planning research into potential respiratory spread of bird flu among dairy cattle, according to a Reuters interview with Michigan state agriculture and public health officials.
Bird flu infects third US dairy worker; Michigan set to expand testing
A third U.S. dairy worker tested positive for bird flu after exposure to infected cows, and was the first to suffer respiratory problems, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
U.S. health officials warn dairy workers are at risk from bird flu
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. health officials on Friday warned that dairy workers remain at risk from the H5N1 bird flu virus that is infecting dairy herds, and urged them to wear protective gear to avoid infection. The U.S. CDC urged farmers, workers, and emergency responders to wear appropriate protective gear when in direct or […] Read more
Bird flu testing shows more dairy products are safe, US FDA says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday that preliminary results of additional testing of more dairy products has shown that pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus.
Maryland man recovering after ‘breakthrough’ pig-heart transplant
Hog's genes edited to reduce rejection risk
Chicago | Reuters — A U.S. man with terminal heart disease was implanted with a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind surgery, and three days later the patient is doing well, his doctors reported on Monday. The surgery, performed by a team at the University of Maryland Medicine, is among the first to demonstrate […] Read more
Smithfield makes move on market for pig-human transplants
Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, has established a separate bioscience unit to expand its role in supplying pig parts for medical uses, with the ultimate goal of selling pig organs for transplantation into humans. Routine pig-human organ transplants are years away, but recent scientific advances are breaking down barriers […] Read more
U.S. deploys new bird flu plan to protect humans, poultry
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farm and health officials are racing to assess the threat that a type of bird flu never before seen in the country poses to humans and poultry, employing emergency plans drawn up in the wake of a devastating outbreak in birds last year. The federal government sprang into action on […] Read more
U.S. cracks down on intake of added sugar, saturated fat
Chicago | Reuters — New U.S. dietary guidelines on Thursday urged Americans to cut their added sugar and saturated fat intake to less than 10 per cent of daily calories, but consumer advocates criticized the recommendations for not providing clear guidance on the need to reduce consumption of meat. The government guidelines, which are issued […] Read more
Scientists use genetic code to jump-start development of a bird flu vaccine
By the time an actual sample of the H7N9 virus arrived in U.S. labs, scientists had already used its genetic code to make a synthetic version and begun work on a vaccine
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters / Even before they got a sample of the new bird flu virus from China — typically the first step in making a flu vaccine — U.S. researchers had already begun testing a “seed” strain of the virus made from the genetic code posted on the Internet. This new, faster approach is the result […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
