How is bird flu spread in cows? An experiment brings some “good news.”
Ever since scientists discovered earlier this year that the flu infects American cows, they have wondered how it spread from one animal to another. An experiment conducted in Kansas and Germany shed some light on the mystery.Scientists have failed to find evidence that the virus can spread as a respiratory infection. Juergen Richt, a virologist at Kansas State University who helped lead the research, said the findings suggest the virus is transmitted primarily through contaminated milking machines.In an interview, Dr. Richt said the findings offer hope that the outbreak can be stopped before the virus evolves into a form that could spread easily among humans."I think it's good news that we can probably control this more easily than people thought," Dr. Richt said. "Hopefully we can n...