avian flu outbreak

No human illnesses have been associated with this virus in North America. Scientists continue to monitor the ongoing global avian influenza outbreak also referred to as bird flu that has killed millions of birds and has now crossed over to some species of mammals. Get the latest science news in your RSS reader with ScienceDaily's hourly updated newsfeeds, covering hundreds of topics: Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks: Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent infection with bird flu viruses, but can reduce the risk of getting sick with human and bird flu viruses at the same time. This webpage summarizes the current avian influenza (bird flu) situation in humans in the United States. Do we test the water or the soil? CDC has been comparing the properties of current H5N1 bird flu viruses to past H5N1 bird flu viruses and has found that current H5N1 bird flu viruses detected in the U.S. during late 2021 and 2022 are different from earlier H5N1 bird flu viruses. Experts found the H5N1 Eurasian strain, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus type. The researchers believe that bird flu will probably become endemic a phenomenon where a disease is constantly present within an area or community in the US which could affect food security and the economy. During past H5N1 bird flu virus outbreaks that have occurred in poultry globally, human infections were rare. More than 40 million egg-laying hens have been culled in the U.S. alone, causing the price of eggs nationwide to skyrocket, Lorenzoni said. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. And since its arrival in North America, the avian influenza virus has continued to change. More than 60% of U.S. broiler . In agricultural poultry flocks, if a few birds test positive for H5N1, the whole flock is killed regardless of symptoms or infection status. A University of Maryland (UMD)-led team of researchers tracked the arrival and progression of the deadly bird flu (H5N1) in North America to determine how this outbreak is different from previous ones. "The bird populations haven't seen viruses like this before," Webby says, "so in terms of their immune response, they're all immunologically nave to this" influenza virus. Then the site is decontaminated. Avian influenza can spread quickly and appears to be almost 100% fatal for some species. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. By University of Colorado Boulder The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-healthdisasterto date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015. The virus has hit many turkey farms but because those operations tend to be smaller and the cases have been spread out over time and space, producers have mostly been able to absorb the losses, building up stocks of frozen turkey ahead of the end-of-year holidays. That includes millions of chickens and turkeys in barns and backyards that had been raised to provide eggs or meat. One scientist said the variant is "wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before. One of the people infected in Cambodia, an 11-year-old girl, died from the illness. Thats when production of eggs is hammered.. This particular A (H7N9) virus had not previously been seen in either animals or people until it was found in March 2013 in China. Avian influenza viruses are classified as either "low pathogenic" or "highly pathogenic" based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters. The U.S. outbreak, which began in February, infected flocks of poultry and non-poultry birds across 46 states, USDA data show. Many virologists are concerned that this virus could spill over to humans and cause a new . Comparing the current U.S. virus to the one in Europe, Webby says, "From the outside looking in, they look very similar. You can review and change the way we collect information below. ". It is true that the farmed minks were confined in close quarters, like chickens on a poultry farm, so that may have contributed. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has not led to continued spread among people. April 24, 2023. The viruss prevalence in the wild presents new challenges for its containment. Heres the key question: If H5N1 can achieve spread in minks and possibly sea lions, why not humans? If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. The patient recovered after experiencing a few days of fatigue. Some research indicates that detection of HPAI viruses in wild birds has become more common. Scientists continue to monitor the ongoing global avian influenza outbreak also referred to as bird flu that has killed millions of birds and has now crossed over to some species of mammals. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. ", A biosecurity sign is seen at the Powers Farm, which raises turkeys in Townsend, Del. His lab is largely operating seven days a week. That earlier outbreak also started in the winter but while that ordeal was over by the following June, the current outbreak lasted through the summer and has surged anew. A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. What is the World Economic Forum doing about fighting pandemics? The data show the progression of highly pathogenic H5N1 as it spread from Eurasia to the U.S. where it was first documented in late 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. The current most problematic strain, H5N1, was first detected in southern China and Hong Kong back in 1996. Once that happens, entire flocks typically need to be culled. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. University of Maryland. At this time, the Department of Agriculture has not approved the use of vaccination in the U.S. for protecting birds from avian influenza. ScienceDaily, 19 April 2023. "That gave us a really powerful . All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Local weather conditions also influence how the virus spreads. Many migratory bird species travel thousands of miles between continents, posing a continuing risk of AI virus transmission. Losses of poultry flocks sent prices foreggsand turkey meat to record highs, worsening economic pain for consumers facing red-hot inflation and making Thursdays Thanksgiving celebrations more expensive in the United States. "Right now, it's like a kid in a candy store racing around," infecting bird populations, he says. In the U.S. the virus has led to the destruction of millions of commercially raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, and has killed thousands of wild birds.. More information about this case is, The detections of H5 viruses in wild birds, poultry, some mammals, and in one person in the United States do not change the risk to the general publics health, which CDC considers to be low. These decisions have to be made on multiple scales.". H5N1 spread very efficiently between the minks and caused clinical signs of illness and death in the mink populations where it was detected. The culprit is highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. U.S. experts had been bracing for an outbreak, watching successful strains of the H5N1 influenza virus proliferate in Europe and elsewhere. The disease can and does affect humans, but it's rare. An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in chicken and turkey flocks has spread across 24 U.S. states since it was first detected in Indiana on Feb. 8, 2022. Materials provided by University of Maryland. But lab tests soon revealed something scarier: a deadly avian influenza virus named H5N1. Efforts to prevent infections in commercial and backyard flocks are ongoing, but slowing the outbreak has been challenging because the virus seems to have gained a foothold in species of wild birds, said Biao He, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. As H5N1 infects more species, it also increases its geographical range and produces more viral variants that could have new biological properties. An outbreak of avian influenza in seabirds in the Gambia could affect vast numbers of birds migrating along the East Atlantic Flyway, unless international funding is secured, warn conservationists. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Between December 2022 and February 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in wild aquatic birds (pelicans and penguins) and sea mammals (sea lions) in the Antofagasta Region where the case resides. This is because bird influenza viruses must mutate in several ways to infect mammals efficiently. Yuko Sato, The Conversation The COVID con is over, monkeypox is a non-event, so lets resurrect bird flu as the new threat to mankind and a chance for Big Pharma to create a new raft of bloated billionaires.You must think Jo Public is even dumber than the brains behind these pathetic endless scare stories. Wild birds like ducks transmit the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, through their feces, feathers or direct contact with poultry. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. . This graphic shows how bird flu viruses can spread between infected birds and people. Introduction of the Eurasian lineage HPAI to North . There are only a small handful of examples of human-to-human spread. "So, yes, we certainly saw an increase in turkey prices in this holiday season," Hagerman says, "but not as much as we might have anticipated given the extent of this outbreak.". How do we track it in wild birds? "Bright sunshine and heat kills the virus in the environment," Hagerman says, describing how summer weather helped end the earlier outbreak. The primary natural hosts and reservoir of AI viruses are wild waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. Though most cases were detected in Oregon, positive . Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary on Oct. 5 in Acton, Calif. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has entered Southern California, driven by wild bird migration. Nathan Howard/Getty Images "One of the big complications is timing on a vaccine," Hagerman says. Image:REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar. IE 11 is not supported. Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious virus that affects all birds. More information about bird flu in humans is available at Bird Flu Virus Infections in Humans. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 3 things the world is doing to prepare for the next pandemic, The world needs a COP-like process for pandemic preparedness. If allowed to spread unfettered, the pathogen could evolve in such a way that makes it more devastating or harder to control. Well, whod have thought it? If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. It's very rare for a human to be infected with the avian virus. All Rights Reserved. Thank you. Suresh Kuchipudi, the interim director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, said three animal testing laboratories in Pennsylvania are processing several thousand samples each week. It's really a call to arms saying, we can't afford to address this from our individual silos. The unprecedented spread of disease and 2022's high inflation rates raising farmers' costs caused the jump and it doesn't look like it will change soon. The presence of the virus in the commercial food chain raises a number of possible trade headaches but so would using a vaccine to fight it. Still, the scale of the spread is putting strain on animal health laboratories. A sample of avian influenza isolated from a Chilean man who fell ill last month contains two genetic mutations that are signs of adaptation to mammals, officials from the Centers . That "certainly seems to be the case in Europe and Africa," Webby says, adding, "my gut feeling is we're headed that way in the Americas as well. Speedy Robo-Gripper Reflexively Organizes What Made Us Human? Avoid contact with wild or domestic birds that appear ill or have died and call to report sick or dead birds. "People in Central America and South America really need to be aware," he says, "that this virus is likely to arrive on their doorstepif it hasn't . Signals that could raise the public health risk might include multiple reports of H5N1 virus infections in people from exposure to birds, or identification of spread from one infected person to a close contact. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Some strains, like the version of H5N1 that is currently spreading, are frequently. The latest outbreak of avian flu may have also shifted to a year-round disease from a more seasonal disease in previous outbreaks. Because H5N1 doesnt spread well between people, and because direct infection of humans by infected birds is still relatively rare, H5N1 has not yet erupted into a human epidemic or pandemic. The third and most worrisome reason that this virus is getting so much press is that H5N1 now seems to be transmitting well between individuals of at least one mammalian species. "We've been dealing with low pathogenic avian influenza for decades in the poultry industry, but this is different." However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. Is it a vaccine? Johanna A Harvey, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Michael C. Runge, Diann J. Prosser. And if the outbreak lingers into spring, infections could become even more difficult to prevent as a new wave of bird migrations begin. One reason for this is that using vaccines would potentially affect international trade and poultry exports. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, drove the cost of turkey meat to record highs. But its impact on humans is complicated. After the migrating gull came ashore, the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as the H5N1 virus, exploded across North America. **Clades are described in the Classification of bird flu viruses section. The researchers collected samples from 1,079 wild birds and 132 gray seals and harbor seals stranded along the North Atlantic coast from Jan. 20 to July 31, 2022. The process is much like dealing with a human pandemic. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

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