Susceptibility of calves fed unpasteurized milk from cows infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1
Nature Communications·
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-026-76300-1
- PMID
- —
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- —
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings support preventing unpasteurized milk from H5N1-positive herds or suspect cows from being fed to calves and identify routes of transmission as a research priority for interventions and vaccination strategies.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study investigated whether calves fed milk from H5N1-infected dairy cows become infected, develop clinical signs, seroconvert, and shed virus over time.
Study design
This is a peer-reviewed journal article reporting an experimental calf-feeding study involving milk from infected and non-infected cows, with follow-up for clinical signs, viral shedding, and seroconversion.
Population and setting
The population consisted of calves fed unpasteurized milk from H5N1-positive dairy cows, including calves whose milk contained neutralizing antibodies; the setting was a dairy-farm transmission context.
Main findings
Calves given infected unpasteurized milk became infected, developed nasal discharge and increased respiratory effort, seroconverted, and had persistent live virus in nasal swabs even after switching to milk from non-infected cows. Calves receiving infected-cow milk that contained neutralizing antibodies showed no infection, clinical signs, or seroconversion.
Public-health relevance
The findings support preventing unpasteurized milk from H5N1-positive herds or suspect cows from being fed to calves and identify routes of transmission as a research priority for interventions and vaccination strategies.
Important limitations
The supplied evidence is limited to one peer-reviewed article's abstract and metadata, and the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation; the abstract does not report sample sizes, effect estimates, or quantitative outcomes.
GIDS interpretation
For GIDS discoverability, the article is indexed as a peer-reviewed Nature Communications journal article concerning H5N1/influenza, transmission dynamics, and vaccination; the supplied evidence does not establish any connection to a live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.