The fact that H5N1 avian influenza has infected numerous mammalian species, including dairy cows, raises the risk that the virus might adapt to humans, and the prospect is "an enormous concern," says World Health Organization Chief Scientist Jeremy Farrar. Scientists are investigating how dairy cows got infected and whether cows are possible intermediate hosts in the influenza A transmission chain, and answers to those questions may support new control methods, writes Nitish Boodhoo, a research associate in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph.

When dairy cows in northern Texas herds suddenly lost their appetites and began producing abnormally thick milk, veterinarian Barb Petersen talked with colleagues and dairy owners, submitted numerous samples to labs for testing and reached out to veterinarian Drew Magstadt at Iowa State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. When farm cats also started turning up dead, Dr. Magstadt tested milk samples submitted by Dr. Peterson for influenza A, and instead of ruling out the virus as expected, the tests came back positive.

Veterinary microbiology professor Joe Rubin is working on a project led by one of his former students, Roshan Madalagama, on an animal antimicrobial stewardship project in Madalagama's home country of Sri Lanka. The partners have created a globally available lab manual and are improving training programs at Sri Lanka's national veterinary laboratory, and two technicians from Sri Lanka will work with Dr. Rubin at the University of Saskatchewan this fall.

Two men who hunted deer, regularly ate venison and lived in an area where chronic wasting disease is present died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, according to a study in Neurology. The findings raise the possibility that people may be susceptible to the prion that causes CWD, but the researchers cautioned that a causal relationship was not demonstrated, and further investigation is needed.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, Animal Welfare Epidemiology Lab are surveying cat owners about their perception of insect-based pet foods. Cats naturally eat insects sometimes; some insects are highly nutritious; insect-based diets are unlikely to trigger allergic reactions; and the production process for insect-based foods may be more environmentally sustainable than for conventional meat-based foods.

All black-footed ferrets in a US conservation program are descendants of seven ferrets captured after a dog in western Wyoming brought home one of the endangered animals in 1981. Researchers have succeeded in producing two black-footed ferrets cloned from one of those seven ferrets whose genes have many more variants than any other black-footed ferrets alive today.

Banking relationships can be a boost or burden for small businesses, and owners should carefully consider the accessibility of financial management tools and potential financing options before selecting a bank, according to Greynier Fuentes, vice president of sales and digital strategies at Veritran. Other areas to consider are customer support options, payment processing services, cash flow solutions, risk management and the level of personal service needed.

As variations of cannabis-derived products have become more accessible, veterinarians have seen increased interest among clients in using these products for their pets. It's important to understand the legal landscape surrounding cannabis when talking with clients about whether these products are legal, safe, or effective for treating medical conditions in animals. Visit AVMA's "cannabis use and pets" webpage.