The emergence of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in marine environments, a pathogen capable of crossing species barriers, has raised significant concerns within the wildlife conservation community.
A recent collaborative study by the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina has shed light on the viruss adaptation and its implications for both marine and bird populations along the Atlantic coast of South America.
Researchers focused their investigation on a collection of brain samples from deceased sea lions, a fur seal, and a tern found in Argentinas most affected sea lion rookery.
The analysis confirmed H5N1 infection in all specimens, revealing a near-identical virus sequence across the samples.
This uniformity included specific mutations known for mammalian adaptation, previously identified in marine mammals and a human case across Peru and Chile, and, notably, in a tern for the first time.
Agustina Rimondi, a virologist from INTA and the studys first author, emphasized, This confirms that while the virus may have adapted to marine mammals, it still has the ability to infect birds. It is a multi-species outbreak.
The presence of mammal-adaptation mutations in the terns virus sequence highlights the potential for transmission between marine mammals.
Despite these findings, Marcela Uhart, a senior author and wildlife veterinarian at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, reassures that the virus currently poses a relatively low risk to humans.
However, she warns of the potential for increased concern if the virus continues to replicate in mammals. Uhart underscores the importance of ongoing surveillance and early warning efforts to mitigate this risk.
Labelled as this new monster by Uhart, the clade 2.3.4.4b variant of H5N1 emerged in 2020 amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, initially impacting sea birds in Europe before spreading to South Africa, and then to the Americas, threatening poultry and wild bird populations.
By February 2023, the virus had reached Argentina, demonstrating its lethal potential by August 2023 among sea lions at Tierra del Fuegos Atlantic coastline, and then moving northward with devastating effects on marine mammals and seabirds alike.
A staggering toll has been observed, with at least 600,000 wild birds and 50,000 mammals, including elephant seals and sea lions across Argentina, Chile, and Peru, as well as thousands of albatrosses in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands, succumbing to the virus.
A significant outbreak documented by Uhart and her team resulted in a 70% mortality rate among newborn elephant seal pups during the 2023 breeding season in Argentinas Pennsula Valds.
The viruss southward trajectory towards Antarctica has prompted urgent wildlife surveillance efforts by Uhart and her colleague Ralph Vanstreels, aimed at assessing the risk to previously unexposed species.
The potential consequences of such exposure could be dire, necessitating a vigilant approach to monitoring and prevention.
The study embodies the One Health concept, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, domestic animal, wildlife, and environmental health. It calls for a unified response from public, wildlife, agricultural, and health sectors worldwide to address the challenges posed by interspecies disease outbreaks.
In concluding remarks, Uhart reflects on the necessity of giving a voice to affected wildlife populations, highlighting the importance of long-term observational data and global collaboration in preparing for future challenges.
We are trying to be at the forefront of documenting, recording, and providing early warning, she states, emphasizing the critical role of scientific and conservation efforts in addressing the sprawling impact of the H5N1 virus.
In summary, this disturbing study by the University of California, Davis has illuminated a critical shift in the behavior of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, revealing its newfound ability to infect and spread among marine mammals, alongside its traditional avian hosts.
Their research underscores the viruss escalating threat to global wildlife conservation while highlighting the imperative for heightened surveillance and international collaboration to mitigate its spread.
By tracing the genomic footprints of H5N1 across species and continents, scientists offer a clarion call to action, urging a unified approach to safeguard the health of our planets diverse ecosystems against this formidable viral foe.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus, commonly known as bird flu, represents a significant threat to both avian and human populations worldwide.
Identified initially in 1959 during an outbreak in Scottish chickens, H5N1 has since evolved into a highly pathogenic strain that inflicts severe respiratory disease in birds and poses a zoonotic risk to humans.
H5N1 primarily affects birds, both wild and domestic, with waterfowl and poultry being particularly susceptible. The virus transmits through direct contact with infected animals, their secretions, or contaminated environments. Notably, migratory birds play a crucial role in spreading the virus across continents, facilitating outbreaks that can decimate poultry industries and threaten food security.
Human cases of H5N1 infection are rare but have occurred, primarily among individuals with close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. Human-to-human transmission remains extremely limited, but the potential for the virus to evolve and gain this capability is a source of global concern.
In birds, H5N1 causes severe respiratory problems, leading to high mortality rates. Symptoms in infected birds include sudden death, uncoordinated movement, and decreased egg production.
In humans, H5N1 infection can cause severe respiratory illness, including pneumonia. Symptoms often begin as typical flu-like symptoms but can rapidly progress to severe respiratory distress and other complications. Treatment typically involves antiviral medications, and early intervention is crucial for improving outcomes.
Preventing H5N1 spread involves rigorous biosecurity measures, including surveillance of poultry farms, culling infected animals, and vaccinating poultry.
Public health initiatives focus on reducing human exposure to infected birds, improving hygiene practices, and preparing for potential pandemics through vaccine development and strategic planning.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus remains a potent threat to global health and economy, necessitating ongoing vigilance, research, and cooperation among nations to mitigate its impact.
While primarily an avian disease, its potential to evolve and spread among humans underscores the importance of preparedness and response strategies to protect public health.
The full study was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.
Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
Read the original:
Avian influenza is spreading globally from birds to marine mammals - Earth.com
- 4in1 flu vaccination can help protect from Swine Flu (H1N1) and three other flu strains - Times of India [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Two years on from our 'immune holiday', it's party time for germs. Here's why - Stuff [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Scientists hedging bets with mixed COVID vaccine for original strain and Omicron variants - Sky News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- People aged 65 and over in Lothian to get winter booster jab as Scotlands winter vaccination programme gets under way - Edinburgh News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- The U.K. Releases 55 Million Game Birds Every Year. This Group Says Not to Release Any Amid Avian Flu Fears - Outdoor Life [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Opinion | When Will the Pandemic End? And Other Pressing Questions, Answered - The New York Times [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- UArizona prepares for start of classes with resources on COVID, flu and monkeypox - University of Arizona News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Thailand To Start Treating Covid Like The Flu From October - Travel Off Path [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Moderna plans single, annual shot for COVID, flu and other respiratory virus - WRAL News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Got Flu? Heres How Long Youll Be Contagious - Health Essentials [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Extending dogs' lives, and sex and the immune system - MIT Technology Review [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- A fowl virus: What the bird flu means for PA agriculture and how to fight it - cityandstatepa.com [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- When is the Best Time to Get a Flu Shot This Year? - Healthline [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Scientists Have Re-Created The Deadly 1918 Flu Virus. Why? - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Xofluza Approved to Treat and Prevent Flu in Children 5 to 12 Years Old - Everyday Health [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Colds and the flu ruin our winters. COVID isnt nearly as pickybut this could be changing - Fortune [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- COVID-19 still a factor in almost 11K deaths in N.Y. this year - Times Union [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Higher risk of vein blood clots in COVID vs flu patients - CIDRAP [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Experts debunk monkeypox myths as misinformation spreads - The 19th* [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Pets Corner forced to shut to limit bird flu spread after virus detected in two of the city's parks - Leicestershire Live [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Leicester peregrine falcon that lived at Leicester Cathedral dies amid bird flu outbreak - Leicestershire Live [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Poorest at risk of flu if they cant afford to heat homes, minister admits - The Independent [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Theres good news in the crowded field of Omicron subvariants: Bad Ned is (nearly) deadbut Aeterna and Centaurus are on the rise - Fortune [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Portland will test wastewater for monkeypox and other viruses - Press Herald [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Experts warn of spike in Swine flu cases in Delhi: Know what it is & why you should be concerned - Economic Times [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- It's going to be a complicated fall for Covid and flu vaccinations - STAT - STAT [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- When COVID-19 or flu viruses kill, they often have an accomplice bacterial infections - The Conversation [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Why is swine flu surging in Maharashtra? What are the symptoms? - The Indian Express [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- 3 cases of avian flu now suspected in Nunavut - CBC.ca [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Avian flu vaccination becoming less of a taboo topic - WATTAgNet Industry News & Trends [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Monkeypox transmission, vaccines and treatment | HealthFocus SA | University Health - University Health System [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 2) - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Summer colds: this may explain why so many have suffered them this year - The Conversation [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- What is tomato flu? Very contagious virus detected in kids, docs warn - New York Post [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Flu Viral: Here Are The Most Common Queries Answered - NDTV [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Heres why you caught that summer cold, again - ThePrint [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 3) - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- What is the tomato flu? Scientists monitoring outbreak in India - FOX 35 Orlando [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- What to know about the tomato flu virus doctors are tracking in India - KRQE News 13 [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Flu and COVID-19 do not belong to the same virus family - Rappler [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- 'Tomato Flu': Everything you need to know about the virus [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Influenza - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Fauci warns of bad flu season brewing as he nears office exit - The Peninsula [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Why is swine flu seeing a resurgence in India this year? - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- What to know about the tomato flu virus doctors are tracking in India - WATE 6 On Your Side [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Omicron boosters targeting the BA.4, BA.5 subvariants are coming to Colorado. Here's what you need to know. - Denver 7 Colorado News [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Will the Flu Arrive by October 2022? - Precision Vaccinations [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Synthetic DNA nasal spray could stop COVID, flu, and other viruses - Freethink [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Detection of a novel bird flu virus with pandemic potential - News-Medical.Net [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- 'Tomato flu' outbreak in India here's what it really is - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Covid-19: What NZ flu data is revealing about coronavirus - New Zealand Herald [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Flu and Covid jab programme starts ahead of 'winter wave of respiratory virus' - HeraldScotland [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Flu & COVID-19 vaccines recommended amidst concerning seasonal trends - AustinTexas.gov [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- After a challenging winter with the flu and Covid, coughs and colds are due to 'take a holiday' - Stuff [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Global Influenza Vaccines Market Analysis/Forecast 2022-2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Analysis by Vaccine Type, Virus Type, Technology, and Route of... [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Chewing to curb COVID | Penn Today - Penn Today [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Seriously, Flu Could Be Bad This Year - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- New bird flu wave in France raises fears deadly virus here to stay - Reuters [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Novid: Freaks or flu-proof? - Times of India [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Hantavirus: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Turkey prices are surging ahead of Thanksgiving due to disease - CBS News [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Swine flu: Warning signs and symptoms, treatments, key precautions to avoid H1N1 - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Bird Flu Has Arrived in the U.S. Earlier Than Expected - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Avian influenza in major production hub in the Netherlands - Poultry World [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- The great RTO/WFH war means COVID is really over this fall - Fortune [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- 'It looked like a triage in there': Riders ravaged by stomach flu in Banjo Bowl blowout - 3downnation.com [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- Is it a Cold or the Flu? - Onmanorama [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- Reconfiguring COVID and influenza vaccines for long-term effectiveness - - pharmaphorum [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Flu shot, COVID boosters, TPOXX treatments and more with Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH - American Medical Association [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Record flu surge predicted this winter as health experts urge people to get their shots - Cambridgeshire Live [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Bite-Size Science: A pandemic of the animal kingdom? Bird flu outbreak spreads to marine mammal populations - Tufts Daily [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Explainer: Everything you need to know about Swine flu - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Updated Boosters Are Optimized to Better Protect Against Newer COVID-19 Variants - University of Utah Health Care [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Ducks offer clues to avian influenza risk - MPR News [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Flu season is here: Symptoms, shots and side effects - Nebraska Medicine [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Why COVID Is Still Worse Than Flu - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- How to get a booster shot at Yale and in New Haven - Yale Daily News [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Campylobacter Gastroenteritis: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Junior Museum and Zoo removes birds from view amid avian flu outbreak - Mountain View Voice [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Dutch trials begin on bird flu vaccination in first year-round outbreak - DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]