Biomedical Expert Featured in Bird Flu Coverage

In April 2024, NYITCOM-Arkansas Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Research and Publications Rajendram Rajnarayanan, Ph.D., was featured in two Salon articles about the circulating bird flu. In an article dated April 26, Rajnarayanan discussed testing for the virus in cattle. He explained that, while testing is still mostly done by cattle ranchers voluntarily, public health officials should implement comprehensive guidelines for both common citizens and ranchers, including testing mandates.

In an article published on April 10, Rajnarayanan noted that he believes the risk for human-to-human transmission is low, but he is concerned about the virus transmitting to other mammals on a farm. This includes pigs, which can get infected with multiple viruses at a time and make it easier for the virus to mutate into a new one that could more easily jump from mammal to mammal, including humans.