skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

One million acres of forest protected under The Conservation Fund, including in OR; Trump seeks to set aside his New York hush money guilty verdict after Supreme Court immunity ruling; 'Share the Pennies' weatherization program tackles climate solutions, reduces cost; Utah feels the impact of California's ban on gestation crates.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

SCOTUS gives former President Trump a huge win in terms of immunity, which might apply to charges of election interference. A new poll finds future court appointments are crucial for voters, and President Biden continues to face post-debate calls to leave the race.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ugly, imperfect produce destined for the landfill is being upcycled by a California candy company, a Texas volunteer uses his Navy training to map the gaps in broadband, and Pennsylvania has a new commission tasked with reversing its shrinking rural population.

Texas officials address human avian flu case

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 3, 2024   

The cattle industry and health officials in Texas are on alert after a person contracted avian flu while working around infected cattle in the Texas Panhandle.

According to the Department of State Health Services, the patient was diagnosed with bird flu after experiencing eye inflammation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the diagnosis.

Dr. Varun Shetty, chief epidemiologist for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said symptoms of avian flu can range from mild to severe.

"Severe illness in humans, in history, has included severe outcomes, like pneumonia and even death," Shetty pointed out. "In this case, this individual presented really just with eye irritation -- something that we call conjunctivitis -- which is not typical for the seasonal flu."

Shetty stressed the person is being treated with antibiotics and is doing well. The first cases of bird flu in cattle were discovered in the Panhandle in March. Texas is one of five states reporting cases of the virus in cattle.

Health officials say it is very rare for the avian flu to spread between humans and the risk to the public is low. Workers in the cattle industry have been told to wear goggles and other protective gear while working with sick animals.

Shetty noted the health department is working closely with other agencies to protect the public and ensure the outbreak does not affect dairy products.

"Pasteurized milk products that you buy in the stores are safe to consume," Shetty emphasized. "There's a rigorous process to make sure that the milk that is sold in stores goes through the steps necessary to make it safe."

The Texas case is the second instance of bird flu reported in humans in the U.S. A Colorado man contracted the virus in 2022 after being exposed to infected poultry.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
There are no income or registration requirements for kids to participate in the state's Summer Meals program, which serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner to all youths up to age 18. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

With school cafeterias closed for the summer, community groups and nonprofits are working to ensure that Colorado's one in five children who go …


Social Issues

play sound

Former President Donald Trump has taken credit for placing three conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, the court awarded him a …

Social Issues

play sound

By Ashli Blow for Tennessee Lookout.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…


Although citywide bans on camping and other laws disadvantaging homeless people grew widely from 2006 to 2019, homeless encampments grew by 1,300% in all 50 states. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Connecticut advocates are distressed about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson. The ruling said public camping bans …

Environment

play sound

New polling shows most Americans still favor non-fossil fuel energy sources, but support for certain renewables is not quite as strong these days and …

The Conservation Fund says it aims to protect five million acres of forest by 2035. (Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The Conservation Fund, which works to protect land and nature across the U.S. has announced it has protected more than 1 million acres of working …

Environment

play sound

New York's Building Code Council is set to include the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 code update. The 2023 law bans natural gas and other …

Social Issues

play sound

Two of the largest credit card companies in the United States want federal regulators to greenlight a merger and the deal has been met with skepticism…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021