Without a sharp pivot in state and federal policies, the bird flu virus that has bedeviled American farms is likely to find a firm foothold among dairy cattle, scientists warn.
That means bird flu may soon pose a permanent threat to other animals, and to people.
So far, the H5N1 virus has not easily infected humans, and the risk to the public remains low. But the longer the virus circulates in cattle, the more chances it has to acquire the mutations necessary to set off an influenza pandemic.
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