May 21, 2024

Bird flu cases detected in western China amid US outbreak concerns

China's Ministry of Agriculture confirmed cases of bird flu among wild fowl in western China, as concerns rise over a bird flu outbreak affecting cattle herds in the US, Reuters reported.

In Qinghai province, China, 275 cases of H5 influenza were confirmed among dead Pallas' gulls and other wild birds in two counties. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs detailed this in a notice on its website, stating that the cases were reported by the China Animal Disease Control Centre and confirmed by the national Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory.

The H5N1 outbreak has affected dairy cattle in at least nine US states since late March, raising questions about the potential for the virus to spread to humans. However, there have been no reported cases of H5N1 in humans so far.

In response to the outbreak, the US announced that it would allocate nearly US$200 million to combat the spread of the virus.

-      Reuters