Nebraska has become the latest state to confirm Avian Flu (also known as bird flu) infections in dairy cows. Testing conducted by the US Department of Agriculture indicates that the virus strain is closely related to the one spreading in California. Nebraska is the 18th state to confirm the Avian Flu in dairy cows since 2024.
Although bird flu’s direct threat to humans is currently low, scientists warn that it continues to inch closer to posing a serious danger. Specifically, the longer the virus is allowed to circulate uncontrolled, the more likely it will land on a mutation that enables it to easily infect humans.
“It almost seems like a pandemic unfolding in slow motion,” said Scott Hensley, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania. “Right now, the threat is pretty low … but that could change in a heartbeat.”
