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University of Nebraska Medical Center

New study launches following the discovery of a second case of avian influenza spreading from cows to humans

Medical Express Vaccination remains the most effective strategy for avian influenza prevention and control in humans, despite varying vaccine efficacy across strains.

That’s according to the authors of a new review which delves into existing research into bird flu vaccines for humans.

Published in the journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, the results of the paper are particularly timely following news on 22 May that the bird flu strain H5N1 had once again, for a second time, jumped from cattle in America to a human—prompting fears of subsequent human-to-human infection, with possible critical consequences.Instances of the avian influenza were first recognized in US cattle in March. Since then, this strain has mainly spread from cow-to-cow and scientists have discovered very high levels of virus in raw milk (pasteurized milk is safe, having shown viral RNA but not infectious virus). To date, two people, however, are known to have contracted the bird flu virus. Both patients—US farmers—only reported eye symptoms and with treatment they made a full recovery.

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