How is bird flu spread in cows? Experience yields “good news.”

Scientists say the results of a small experiment offer hope that the outbreak in dairy cattle can potentially be contained.

Since scientists discovered the flu infecting American cows earlier this year, they have wondered how it spreads from animal to animal. An experiment in Kansas and Germany has shed some light on the mystery.

Scientists have failed to find evidence that the virus can spread in the form of respiratory infection. Juergen Richt, a virologist at Kansas State University who helped lead the research, said the findings suggest the virus is primarily infectious through contaminated milking machines.

In an interview, Dr. Richt said the results gave hope that the epidemic could be stopped before the virus evolved into a form that could easily spread between humans.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">"I think it's a good thing. "We can probably control it more easily than people thought," Dr. Richt said. "I hope we can Now kick this thing and knock it out."

The results have not yet been posted online or published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. reading

Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Emory University who studies the virus on dairy farms and was not involved in the new study, warned that breaking the virus. transmission chain would require serious changes. to the way farmers treat their cows.

“It’s really great to have these results published,” she said. "But this is a real logistical problem."

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