Avian flu found locally and worldwide – Benitolink: San Benito County News

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Avian flu continues to spread in the U.S. and to date there have been four human deaths in the nation. Humans can get this variation of the flu from birds or mammals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends antiviral medication for infection, which a physician can prescribe, and to notify your local public health department. CDC is currently working on a vaccine.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H5N1, an RNA virus (in which the genetic information is stored in the from of RNA as opposed to DNA), was first found in humans in 1997 during a poultry outbreak in Hong Kong. Since 2003, this virus has spread in bird populations from Asia to Europe and Africa, and to the Americas in 2021. It has become endemic in poultry populations in many countries and has recently been found in dairy cows.

Outbreaks have resulted in millions of poultry infections, several hundred human cases and many human deaths worldwide. Between 2003 and March 2024, WHO has recorded 888 confirmed cases leading to 463 deaths. Human cases have been reported mostly from countries in Asia but also in Africa, the Americas and Europe. The Department of Agriculture says it has not only been found in livestock and wild birds but also in wild terrestrial and marine mammals.

While research shows discrepancies in the numbers, as of June 2024 the CDC reports a total of four human deaths from H5N1 in the U.S. since 2022. Three of those deaths were following exposure to dairy cows (reported between April 1, 2024 and May 29, 2024), onedeath was following exposure to poultry (reported in April 2022). Other reports have the number of deaths as high as seven. Human cases have been reported in Colorado, Michigan and Texas.

Mallory Schmitt, epidemiologist and public information officer with San Benito County Environmental Health, told BenitoLink her agency is preparing for H5N1 but said it is not considered highly infectious or pathogenic to humans at this point (the use of highly pathogenic only refers to chicken pathology or the ability for the virus to cause disease in chickens). She said there have been no confirmed human cases in the county and no confirmed cases in wild animals in the county in 2023 or 2024. She added they are working with the agriculture commissioner to ensure safety on poultry and dairy farms. In December 2023 a commercial poultry farm outside of Hollister city limits had waterfowl infections and 5,000 ducks and geese were euthanized. Schmitt said, once birds become infected all animals are culled to prevent further spread.

CDC recommendsthat anyone exposed to H5N1-infected birds, cattle or other animals be monitored for symptoms consistent with the virus starting the first day of exposureday 0 and continuing until 10 days after the last exposure. Monitoring exposed individuals can help to rapidly identify human cases, provide appropriate treatment, prevent onward spread, and help understand the scope of human risk. Between February 2022 and May 2024, at least 9,500 people with potential exposure to HPAI in the United States have been monitored. The median number of days from exposure to illness is 6.5 days according to UC Davis.

As respiratory diseases including COVID-19, SARS, MERS and RSV have been more prominent in the 25 years, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, is the latest one to raise public health concerns. H5N1 is an influenza virus while COVID-19 and SARS are corona viruses.

CDC states that exposures includecontact with infected birds (including poultry, wild birds, and backyard birds), livestock (including dairy cows) or other animals; carcasses of birds, livestock, or other animals; feces or litter; raw cow milk; surfaces and water that might be contaminated with animal excretions. UC Davis recommends wearing gloves, goggles and face masks while working with poultry.

UC Davis treats infected individuals in isolation rooms. Care beyond antivirals can include fluid replacement therapy, fever reducing medication, dialysis, supplemental oxygen therapy and the use of a ventilator.

CDC currently recommends treatment as soon as possible with flu antiviral drugs for peoplewith suspected or confirmed H5N1 infection. Antiviral treatment works best when started as soon as symptoms begin. It recommends that people who become ill after being in close contact with infected or potentially infected animals contact the state or local health department and a health care provider right away.

Looking ahead

In Viral Mutation Rates, a paper for the Journal of Virology, Nebot, Mansky et al., state influenza viruses have a relatively high mutation rate that is characteristic ofRNA viruses. The WHO website states the following regarding a potential pandemic:

There will be pandemics in future, but when, where and how they spread is difficult to predict. They can have significant health, economic and social consequences. An influenza pandemic will occur when an influenza virus emerges with the ability to cause sustained human-to-human transmission and the human population has little to no immunity against the virus. With the growth of global travel, a pandemic can spread rapidly.

Whether currently circulating avian, swine and other influenza viruses will result in a future pandemic is unknown. However, the diversity of zoonotic [disease passing from another animal to a human] influenza viruses that have caused human infections necessitates strengthened surveillance in both animal and human populations, thorough investigation of every zoonotic infection and pandemic preparedness planning.

WHOs Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Frameworkimplements a global approach to prepare for the next influenza pandemic.

Vaccines against H5N1 have been given to endangered California condors with success, but according to the CDC there is currently no vaccine for humans, though they are working on it.

CDC has developed H5 candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) that are nearly identical or, in many cases, identical to the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of recently detected clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses in humans, birds and other mammals. These H5 CVVs could be used to produce a vaccine for people, if needed, and preliminary analysis show that they are expected to provide good protection against avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses currently circulating inbirds and other animals.

Updates on CDC knowledge and response to H5N1 can be found here.

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Avian flu found locally and worldwide - Benitolink: San Benito County News