India, April 30 -- Genomic analysis shows occasional jumping back of virus from infected cows to birds and cats, suggesting multi-host outbreak

Bird flu or H5N1, a strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has been spreading among cows in the United States for almost five months, new data indicated.

A primary genomic analysis revealed that the outbreak is likely to have started in December 2023 or early January. The first case of the strain jumping from wild birds was announced on March 25, 2024. Since then, the H5N1 strain infected 34 herds in nine states of the US, according to reports.

H5N1 has infected millions of birds and animals over the years and may cause a global pandemic, health experts flagged.

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