Scientists reveal the mammary gland’s hidden role in influenza A infections, spotlighting the urgent need for targeted vaccines to protect cattle, milk safety, and public health.
Review: Influenza A virus in dairy cattle: infection biology and potential mammary gland-targeted vaccines. Image Credit:Ā Aleksandar MalivukĀ / Shutterstock
In a recent review published in the journal NPJ Vaccines, researchers in France explored the impact of influenza A virus (IAV) infections in dairy cattle. They specifically examined the biology of the virus, virus-mammalian host interactions, and the unexpected role of the bovine mammary gland in viral replication. The review emphasized the potential for vaccines targeting the mammary gland to control infection and prevent milk-associated spread.
Influenza A Virus
Zoonotic spillover risk confirmed: The study highlights two documented cases of cow-to-human transmission of influenza A virus in farmworkers, emphasizing the occupational risks associated with infected dairy cattle.
Influenza A virus is a highly contagious pathogen that infects a wide range of avian and mammalian species. Migratory birds serve as its natural reservoir, facilitating global spread and sporadic outbreaks in domestic animals and humans. The virus’s segmented genome enables it to reassort alleles, leading to new variants capable of crossing species barriers. In mammals, IAV infections often result from spillovers of avian-origin strains, which sometimes adapt to their new hosts, leading to epidemics or pandemics.
While cattle have historically been considered resistant to infection due to low expression of avian-type receptors, recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in