U.S. tally of bird flu infections in humans rises to 44
Three additional dairy farmworkers in California contracted bird flu, raising the state total to 20 cases and the U.S. tally to 44 people since March, said the Centers for Disease Control on Monday. “To date, person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has not been identified in the United States” and the risk to the general public remained low, said the agency.
Corn earworm develop Bt resistance via unexpected genetic path
The corn earworm is a widespread crop pest, particularly in the U.S. South, and adept at quickly developing resistance to genetically engineered crops. Over time, researchers looking at lab-selected strains of earworm have identified 20 genes that harbor mutations conferring resistance to pest-killing proteins in so-called Bt crops, which have been genetically engineered to produce bacteria that repel the earworm.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Pre-harvest water treatment: For the first time, the EPA has approved an antimicrobial treatment for use against pathogens, such as salmonella and E. coli, in agricultural water used to grow produce, an advance in food safety practices, said the FDA. (Food and Drug Administration)
Drought complicates cranberry farming: Farmers in New Jersey, No. 3 in cranberry production, spent money to pump water from wells to flood their cranberry bogs because drought reduced streamflow in nearby rivers, their usual source of water. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
South Carolina gets D-SNAP: The USDA authorized SNAP disaster benefits for 28 counties and one tribe in South Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene; the agency estimates that more than 357,000 households are eligible for one month of D-SNAP assistance. (USDA)
Rapid corn, soy harvest: Farmers have harvested 91 percent of the corn crop and 94 percent of the soybean crop, well ahead of the five-year average of 75 percent of corn and 85 percent of soybeans by the first week of November, said the weekly Crop Progress report. (USDA)
