H5N1

Utah dairy herds have been hit by H5N1 bird flu, and critics say the US response is failing. Commenters argue the CDC has been weakened, the USDA is politically compromised, and federal inaction is letting the virus spread through cattle, mink, barn cats and mice, raising fears of a new pandemic spilling over to humans.

Veterinary experts and animal welfare groups are condemning the response to an H5N1 bird flu outbreak at a mink farm in Utah, calling it dangerously lax. The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action say weak containment at fur farms raises the risk of the virus mutating and spreading to humans, renewing concerns about disease surveillance and biosecurity on mink operations.