Bird flu is back

"Bird flu is back. After a quiet summer, the virus has hit dozens of poultry flocks, resulting in the deaths of nearly 7 million farmed birds in the United States since the beginning of September. Among them: about 1.3 million turkeys, putting pressure on the nation's turkey supply in the run-up to Thanksgiving. Reports of infected wild birds have also surged this fall, and three states - Idaho, Nebraska and Texas - have identified outbreaks in dairy cows."

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks human cases, and the Department of Agriculture, which monitors animal outbreaks, have both suspended routine communication with states, leaving many officials without up-to-date guidance on how to detect and contain the disease, or a clear national picture of the surge. The Agriculture Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment."

Nearly 7 million farmed birds in the United States have died from bird flu since early September, including about 1.3 million turkeys, tightening turkey supply ahead of Thanksgiving. Reports of infected wild birds have surged, and infections have been found in dairy cows in Idaho, Nebraska and Texas. The virus often increases in fall as wild birds migrate, and this surge began earlier than usual and may accelerate. A government shutdown has left federal agencies with skeletal staff and suspended routine CDC and USDA communications, complicating detection, containment guidance, and national situational awareness. Immigration raids and overlapping seasonal flu may hinder reporting and diagnosis.

Read at Boston.com