Bird flu cases are likely being missed in dairy workers, experts say

Dr. Barb Petersen, a dairy veterinarian in Amarillo, Texas, had been caring for sick cows for several weeks in March when she and a colleague finally pinned down the cause of the illness among the herd: the H5N1 strain of the bird flu. It was the first time the virus had been detected in cattle.The sick cows, said Petersen, who owns Sunrise Veterinary Service, tended to produce milk that didn’t look quite right, and had mastitis, an inflammation of the udders. During that same time, she said, dairy workers — including those who were never in close contact with the sick cows — also…