Headline: Phys Org, 12/4/2025
Dave Roepke reports:
An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has affected more than 184 million domestic poultry since 2022 and, since making the leap to dairy cattle in spring 2024, more than 1,000 milking cow herds.
A new study led by Iowa State University researchers shows that the mammary glands of several other production animals—including pigs, sheep, goats, beef cattle and alpacas—are biologically suitable to harbor avian influenza, due to high levels of sialic acids.
"The main thing we wanted to understand in this study is whether there is potential for transmission among these other domestic mammals and humans, and it looks like there is," said Rahul Nelli, the study's lead author and a research assistant professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. [emphasis added]
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