Deadly Bird Flu has jumped to Humans

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Highly lethal bird flu found in Kentucky and Virginia flocks, raising fear of wider outbreak in poultry farms

Poultry operations in Kentucky and Virginia were confirmed to have birds infected with a highly lethal form of avian flu, federal agriculture officials said Monday, days after a flock of turkeys in Indiana tested positive, raising worries about a wider outbreak in the country.

The most recently identified infections occurred at a Tyson Foods commercial broiler in Fulton County, Ky., that has 240,000 chickens, and in a backyard flock of mixed species in Fauquier County, Va. Kentucky officials said they were also waiting for the results of tests on a flock of turkeys in Webster County.

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Is the next epidemic on its way? Are they trying to shut down supply chains? Highly lethal bird flu detected is spreading across the US from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio to New York











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US considers vaccinating CHICKENS to protect from devastating bird flu outbreak that has caused 22 million poultry deaths in America

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking into vaccines as an option to protect poultry against deadly bird flu, the agency's chief veterinary officer said.

America is currently facing its worst outbreak of the deadly virus since 2015, with around 22 million chickens and turkeys in commercial flocks having been culled.

The virus has had a devastating impact on the country's poultry supply, and exacerbated the inflation of costs for everyday goods faced by Americans.

Avian flu outbreaks, like the one currently rampaging across the world, poses little risk to humans who do not regularly come in contact with poultry, though it has a major impact on food supplies.

Supporters of the vaccines say the shots could help keep poultry alive, prevent financial losses and control food costs, though shots would be too late to stop the current outbreak.

Previously, the United States has eschewed vaccines, worried that importers will ban U.S. poultry shipments because they cannot distinguish infected birds from vaccinated ones.

America is the world's second-largest poultry meat exporter a major egg producer, with shipments reaching $4.2 billion in 2020.

Supply chains have been derailed this year as an avian flu began to circulate along the east coast, before exploding across the country.

'Earlier this year, USDA started reporting that the avian influenza virus was circulating in wild bird populations along the East Coast of the United States,' Dr Michael Persia, an assistant professor of animal and poultry sciences at Virginia Tech University told DailyMail.com in February.

The USDA's Agricultural Research Service is investigating the potential for a vaccine that could be distinguished from the wild type of virus spread to poultry, Chief Veterinary Officer Rosemary Sifford said in an interview.

'We feel strongly that if we could develop a vaccine like that, that would have less of a trade impact,' Sifford said. Researchers estimate that would take at least nine months to develop, she said.

Bird flu has hit poultry in Europe and Asia in addition to North America, and Sifford said the USDA is working with other countries on options for vaccines.

Trading has suffered, as importers like China have blocked imports from more than a dozen U.S. states with outbreaks.

Though vaccines could protect poultry, some producers worry they would be cost prohibitive for chickens raised for meat, which only live about five to seven weeks.

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China reports human H5N6 avian influenza case in Sichuan Province as deadly outbreak severely hits US, UK and Europe

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced yesterday an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in the Mainland, the 13th of 2022 to date. The case involves a 56-year-old male living in Deyang City in Sichuan Province, who had exposure to live domestic poultry before onset. He developed symptoms on March 31 and was admitted for treatment on April 4. He is in serious condition.



This is the 19th case in China this year. From 2014 to date, 77 human cases of avian influenza A (H5N6) have been reported by Mainland health authorities. Avian influenza is caused by those influenza viruses that mainly affect birds and poultry, such as chickens or ducks.

Clinical presentation of avian influenza in humans may range from flu-like symptoms (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches) to severe respiratory illness (e.g. chest infection). Eye infection (conjunctivitis) and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. nausea, vomiting and diarrhea) have also been reported. The incubation period ranges from 7 to 10 days. The more virulent forms can result in respiratory failure, multi-organ failure and even death.

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1st human case of avian influenza in the U.S.: Colorado man tests positive for H5 bird flu

The first human case associated with the H5 bird flu in the U.S. was detected in a Colorado man, just a few days after the same disease was reported in China.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shared information on the case with the public on Thursday, adding the “public health risk assessment remains low.”

The CDC adds people who have job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds are at a higher risk of infection and should take appropriate precautions.

But remember you should never believe CDC…



The CDC has been monitoring people exposed to H5N1 virus-infected birds since the outbreaks were first detected in wild birds and poultry in late 2021. To date, H5N1 viruses have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states.

CDC has tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposures to H5N1 virus-infected birds and this is the only case that has been found to date.

Other people involved in the culling operation in Colorado have tested negative for H5 virus infection, but they are being tested again out of an abundance of caution. Several wild birds have tested positive for the virus in Colorado.

“This is the second human case associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant, and the first case in the United States,” part of a news release from the CDC reads.

“The first case internationally occurred in December 2021 in the United Kingdom in a person who did not have any symptoms and who raised birds that became infected with H5N1 virus. More than 880 human infections with earlier H5N1 viruses have been reported since 2003 worldwide, however, the predominant H5N1 viruses now circulating among birds globally are different from earlier H5N1 viruses.”

The 40-year-old man who tested positive was isolating as of Thursday as he was only experiencing fatigue. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is reporting the positive result is due to direct exposure to infected poultry at a commercial farm in Montrose County.

The person, who is an inmate at a state correctional facility in Delta County, was working with poultry as part of a pre-release employment program where participants have the opportunity to work for private employers and be paid a prevailing wage.

Two days ago, China reported its first human case of H3N8 bird flu…



The affected flock has been euthanized and disposed of under the guidance of the USDA and CDA. All members of the response team, including other inmate workers, were provided personal protective equipment while working on the farm.

“We want to reassure Coloradans that the risk to them is low,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “I am grateful for the seamless collaboration between CDC, Department of Corrections, Department of Agriculture, and CDPHE, as we continue to monitor this virus and protect all Coloradans.” [KKTV]

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Could bird flu be on brink of jumping to HUMANS? Biggest ever avian influenza outbreak 'spills over' to otters and foxes - sparking warning that killer virus could jump to us​

Britain's biggest ever outbreak of bird flu has spilled over into mammals, sparking fears the virus could be one step closer to sweeping humans.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) has detected the H5N1 strain flu in five foxes and four otters in the UK since 2021. All are thought to have been struck down after feeding on infected dead birds.

It raises the prospect that the pathogen could acquire troublesome mutations that allow it to spread much easier between humans, helping it clear the biggest hurdle that has stopped it from spreading like Covid.

Leading experts have warned that the spread of bird flu poses a global 'risk' until it's brought under control. However, officials insist the UK is still 'a long way' from bird flu taking off in a similar fashion as Covid.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported in December that Apha had tested 20 mammals and eight were positive for avian flu.

This figure was this year updated to nine after a fox in Powys, Wales, was confirmed to be carrying the virus.

Seven of the animal cases detected were in 2022, including one fox in Cheshire and two in Cornwall, as well as one otter in each of Shetland and the Isle of Skye and two in Fife.

In 2021, there was one case in a fox in Durham — marking the first case of avian flu in the UK among animals other than birds.

The animals are believed to have eaten dead wild birds infected with the virus.

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Bird flu keeps spreading beyond birds. Scientists worry it signals a growing threat to humans, too​

(Excerpts)

Last October, farm workers began noticing a spike in deaths among the animals, with sick minks experiencing an array of dire symptoms like loss of appetite, excessive saliva, bloody snouts, tremors, and a lack of muscle control.

The culprit wound up being H5N1, marking the first known instance of this kind of avian influenza infection among farmed minks in Europe, notes a study published in Eurosurveillance this month.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 240 cases of H5N1 avian influenza within four Western Pacific countries — including China, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam — over the last two decades. More than half of the infected individuals died.

Global WHO figures show more than 870 human cases were reported from 2003 to 2022, along with at least 450 deaths — a fatality rate of more than 50 per cent.

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Mass death of seals raises fears bird flu is jumping between mammals, threatening new pandemic​

Avian flu has been found in seals that died a ‘mass mortality event’ in the Caspian Sea. Now scientists are investigating whether it is the first transmission of the virus between mammals in the wild.

Scientists are investigating the possibility that bird flu has been transmitted between mammals in the wild for the first time – fuelling fears it could lead to the next pandemic in humans.

In what is being described as a “mass mortality event”, more than 700 seals were found dead in December in the Caspian Sea, near to where the highly contagious H5N1 variant of avian flu was found in wild birds months earlier.

Scientists from Dagestan State University have identified bird flu in tissue from the dead seals, although it is too early to say whether it was the cause of death or if the animals transmitted it to each other.

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Avian flu suspected of killing carnivore in Wyoming​

The first suspected case of avian flu killing a mammal in Wyoming has been sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wildlife lab for verification.

A red fox, one of three suspected cases recently sent to the state lab, tested positive.

All scavenging mammals, including pets, are in danger of contracting the disease according to state officials.

Last week, for the first time, three grizzly bears suffering from the virus were “humanely euthanized” by Montana officials.

Game and Fish large carnivore program manager Dan Thompson said he wouldn’t be surprised if were found with the virus in Wyoming in the future due to their scavenging nature, but has yet to see the species being affected here. He explained most avian flu outbreaks in Wyoming have happened outside known grizzly habitat.

However, data entries on the map of mammals being sickened and killed by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza create a clear line across the northern U.S., and encircle Wyoming.

Species of mammals in Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado had all been reported prior to the discovery of the fox in Wyoming possibly infected with the disease.

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Eastern Washington Bobcat tests positive for avian influenza​

A bobcat on the Spokane Indian Reservation tested positive for avian influenza this month.

While the disease has been found in raccoons in Washington, this is the first time avian influenza has been found in a bobcat, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman said.

In the past nine months, WDFW has documented three raccoons with avian influenza, including one in Spokane County. While the disease is common in birds, it's rarer to find it in mammals.

It has been detected in red foxes, striped skunks and bobcats in other states, according to a WDFW blog post. Washington had the first detections of the disease in raccoons in North America, and the raccoons were the first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a mammal in Washington state.

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France: Cat infected with avian influenza​

A domestic cat was found to have been infected with avian influenza, and euthanised after suffering severe neurological symptoms. It is the first case of its kind in France.

The cat, which lived in Mauléon, Deux-Sèvres in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, picked up the virus from a nearby poultry farm that raised ducks.

First of its kind in France.

A few days before the virus was discovered in the cat, 8,000 birds at a nearby farm were slaughtered due to a bird flu outbreak.

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Ecuador confirms first human bird flu infection in 9-year-old girl​

(Excerpts)

Ecuador reported its first case of human transmission of bird flu in a 9-year-old girl, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, marking a rare case of human infection a month after the country declared an animal health emergency.

Ecuador's Health Ministry said humans and animals in the area where the child was infected in the central province of Bolivar were being closely monitored for transmission.

It did not report on the girl's condition.

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Bird flu may mutate to kill more than 50% of humans who catch it, as a result of 'unprecedented' outbreak sweeping mammals, experts fear​

Bird flu could mutate to become even more harmful to humans due to the ongoing unprecedented outbreak, experts fear. Cases of the killer H5N1 strain, which are at record levels, have already jumped from birds to foxes, otters and mink.

It has sparked huge concern among top virologists that the deadly pathogen is now one step closer to spreading in humans — a hurdle which has so far stopped it from triggering a pandemic.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has now warned mammals could act as 'mixing vessels' for different influenza viruses, potentially unleashing a new variant that could be 'more harmful' to humans.

The H5N1 strain already has a fatality rate of around 50 per cent among people.

Yet fewer than 900 cases among humans have been detected since the first in 1997 because it does not transmit easily between people.

For comparison, Covid's death rate when it sprung onto the scene was 3 per cent, while Ebola has ranged from 25 to 90 per cent in past outbreaks.

An 'unprecedented' number of avian flu cases have been reported across the world since October 2021.

It has reached new regions and had 'devastating impacts' on both animal health and welfare, the WOAH said yesterday.

The outbreak risks global food security and the livelihoods of those who depend on poultry farming, as well as causing an 'alarming rate' of deaths among wild birds and some mammals, it said.

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Is this proof bird flu is now spreading in HUMANS? Father of infected Cambodian girl, 11, who died ALSO has killer virus as WHO calls escalating situation 'worrying'​

The father of an 11-year-old girl who died from bird flu in Cambodia has also tested positive for the virus, raising fears it is spreading between people.

Eleven other close contacts of the girl - the country's 'patient zero' - have been tested and are waiting on their results, including several who are symptomatic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the situation as 'worrying' — with human-to-human transmission of avian influenza not seen in decades.

The father, 49, who is not showing any symptoms, received a positive result today, two days after his daughter died from the H5N1 strain and became the world's first bird flu victim in 2023.

The strain has caused an unprecedented explosion in cases among birds and poultry over the past year, indicating it has evolved to be more infectious.

Concerns reached new heights in recent weeks when it emerged the virus had also begun to infect mammals, including mink, sea lions and foxes.

The more the virus spreads between different animals, the more opportunity it has to mutate.

Only eight human cases have been spotted among people so far this outbreak, all of which were traced back to close contact with infected birds.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health confirmed today that it has tested at least 12 people for the H5N1 strain of avian in a bid to contain the outbreak.

The WHO said it was working with local health officials to contain the potential outbreak.

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Is this proof bird flu is now spreading in HUMANS? Father of infected Cambodian girl, 11, who died ALSO has killer virus as WHO calls escalating situation 'worrying'​

The father of an 11-year-old girl who died from bird flu in Cambodia has also tested positive for the virus, raising fears it is spreading between people.

Eleven other close contacts of the girl - the country's 'patient zero' - have been tested and are waiting on their results, including several who are symptomatic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the situation as 'worrying' — with human-to-human transmission of avian influenza not seen in decades.

The father, 49, who is not showing any symptoms, received a positive result today, two days after his daughter died from the H5N1 strain and became the world's first bird flu victim in 2023.

The strain has caused an unprecedented explosion in cases among birds and poultry over the past year, indicating it has evolved to be more infectious.

Concerns reached new heights in recent weeks when it emerged the virus had also begun to infect mammals, including mink, sea lions and foxes.

The more the virus spreads between different animals, the more opportunity it has to mutate.

Only eight human cases have been spotted among people so far this outbreak, all of which were traced back to close contact with infected birds.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health confirmed today that it has tested at least 12 people for the H5N1 strain of avian in a bid to contain the outbreak.

The WHO said it was working with local health officials to contain the potential outbreak.

(More on the link)

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In previous outbreaks of H5N1, secondary infections (those who caught it from people who were infected by birds) have occurred, but were not able to pass it on as easily, and were not as seriously ill as the primary infected. Let us hope the same is happening here. A bird flu pandemic, if sustained human-to-human transmission occurs, would be quite a bit more serious than a Covid one.

 

[nivek]

In previous outbreaks of H5N1, secondary infections (those who caught it from people who were infected by birds) have occurred, but were not able to pass it on as easily, and were not as seriously ill as the primary infected. Let us hope the same is happening here. A bird flu pandemic, if sustained human-to-human transmission occurs, would be quite a bit more serious than a Covid one.

There was one bird flu case in the US in April last year, I can't find the article about it however, if I remember correctly the only symptom the man had was fatigue and made a full recovery with some antiviral drug...Perhaps (hopefully) if H5N1 does jump to humans fully it will be a milder form...

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There was one bird flu case in the US in April last year, I can't find the article about it however, if a remember correctly the only symptom the man had was fatigue and made a full recovery with some antiviral drug...Perhaps (hopefully) if H5N1 does jump to humans fully it will be a milder form...

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There was a British man who caught H5N1 last year:

First UK person to catch H5N1 bird flu strain is named

Alan Gosling, 79, tested positive having lived with about 20 ducks inside his home in Devon

www.theguardian.com

He recovered without serious illness. He was a weirdo who lived with a bunch of wild ducks that would come and go from his property.

 

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There was a British man who caught H5N1 last year:

First UK person to catch H5N1 bird flu strain is named

Alan Gosling, 79, tested positive having lived with about 20 ducks inside his home in Devon

www.theguardian.com

He recovered without serious illness. He was a weirdo who lived with a bunch of wild ducks that would come and go from his property.

Being that age and surviving H5N1 is amazing, given all the ducks he was around that tested positive...

I found that article about the US case last year:

U.S. Case of Human Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Reported

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Bird flu HAS mutated to infect people: Fresh pandemic fears as scientists on ground zero in Cambodia find H5N1 strain that killed 11-year-old girl had evolved to infect human cells better​

A bird flu strain that claimed the life of a schoolgirl in Cambodia has evolved to better infect human cells, in a worrying sign.

Scientists on the ground who made the discovery said the finding 'needs to be treated with the utmost concern'.

They added that there were 'some indications' the virus had already 'gone through' a human and picked up the new mutations before infecting the girl.

The 11-year-old girl, from Prey Veng province, last week became the first victim of H5N1 in 2023. Her father has also tested positive for the virus but has not developed symptoms.

Dr Erik Karlsson, who led the team at the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia that decoded the genetic sequence of the girl's virus, warned that it differed from that taken from birds.

He told Sky News: 'There are some indications that this virus has gone through a human.

'Any time these viruses get into a new host they'll have certain changes that allow them to replicate a little bit better or potentially bind to the cells in our respiratory tract a little bit better.'

But he added that the virus was yet to fully adapt to humans, saying it was fundamentally 'still a bird virus'.

Dr Karlsson said the new mutations were unlikely to have occurred in the girl, but probably existed in a 'cloud' of viruses with random genetic changes inside birds.

The strain in its current form is unlikely to cause a major outbreak. Widespread transmission would require a mutation that allows it to bind to a receptor found on cells in the nose.

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