Note: The curves for Years of Life Lost (YLL), Future Poverty Years (FPY), and Current Poverty Years (CPY) (in years per 100 people) are smoothed based on fitted values from separate locally weighted polynomial regressions. In each regression, the natural logarithm of GNI PC (2020 US$, Atlas Method) is the independent variable, while YLL, FPY, or CPY is the dependent variable. A bandwidth of 0.75 is used in all regressions.
When aggregating the total well-being costs from the pandemic, we need to consider the value of a year of life lost relative to an additional year of life spent in poverty, which we call . We dont choose a specific value for as reasonable views on this valuation differ. Instead, we present results for a range of plausible valuations of =1, 4, and 10 as well as country-specific values that were calibrated from a specified utility function.
Regardless of the specific valuation chosen in our range, (Table 1). Regarding regional differences, countries in the (see paper for details).
= 1 (YLL per 100)
= 4 (YLL per 100)
= 10 (YLL per 100)
country-specific (YLL per 100)
LICs
18.7
5.3
2.7
13.6
LMICs
18.3
5.8
3.2
9.2
UMICs
17.2
7.2
5.2
8.1
HICs
7.4
3.0
2.1
2.6
World
14.7
5.1
3.2
7.7
Note: Total well-being loss is measured as YLL+(CPY+FPY)/, where the normative parameter captures the number of years lived in poverty deemed to yield the same well-being loss as one year of life lost.
A new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases uses data from 1,988 SARS-CoV-2positive US Military Health System beneficiaries to define the characteristics and clinical patterns observed in patients with long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC), grouping patients into three phenotypes based on clusters of symptoms.
The authors of the study said they wanted to use machine learning to analyze data on clinical symptoms 6 months post-infection to identify new definitions for PCC. The longitudinal study took place from March 2020 through May 2022. Case-participants tested positive for COVID-19 during the study period and completed a survey approximately 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after their first positive test.
At each time point, participants were asked about the duration and severity of their symptoms, the authors said.
"To identify distinct PCC clusters based on differing symptomatology, we utilized a machine learning clustering algorithm of survey responses to identify patterns that differentiated participants based on their reported symptoms," they wrote.
3 symptom clusters identified
In total, the authors said three symptom-based clusters were identified: a sensory cluster (loss of smell and/or taste), a fatigue/difficulty-thinking cluster, and a difficulty-breathing and exercise-intolerance cluster.
"Cluster 1 (Sensory) was characterized by a higher frequency of sensory symptoms such as loss of smell and/or taste, Cluster 2 (Fatigue/Difficulty thinking) was characterized by a higher frequency of fatigue (including mental and physical fatigue) and difficulty thinking (e.g., brain fog), and Cluster 3 (Difficulty breathing/Exercise intolerance) was characterized by a higher frequency of difficulty breathing symptoms (e.g., shortness of breath) and exercise intolerance (e.g., difficulty exercising)," they said.
Of the 1,988 participants included in the study, 60.4% were men, and 69.5% were 18 to 44 years old. Seventy-three percent had no significant comorbidities prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 9.6% were hospitalized due to acute COVID-19 infection.
The authors also found that certain comorbidities were linked to certain PCC symptoms, for example, obesity during COVID-19 infection was linked to difficulty breathing in the PCC period. Everyone in the sensory cluster was treated as an outpatient during COVID infection.
"The sensory cluster was less likely to be vaccinated (15.6%) compared to the fatigue/difficulty thinking (36.2%) cluster and the difficulty breathing /exercise intolerance (39.1%) cluster," the authors said.
This study underscores that PCC is not a single condition but, rather, a multisystemic condition with distinct symptom-based phenotype
In an editorialon the study, researchers from the University of Cambridge write, "This study underscores that PCC is not a single condition but, rather, a multisystemic condition with distinct symptom-based phenotypes that have specific risk factors and perhaps unique early inflammatory profiles."
JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Health is urging South Africans to remain vigilant and seek immediate medical attention if they suspect any signs of the mpox virus - also known as monkey pox - after an infections rise in the country.
Since the outbreak in May, the country has recorded sixteen positive cases andthree deaths.
Some of the common symptoms of mpox include a rash that may last for two to four weeks, headache, fever, muscle aches and back pain.
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Mia Malan, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, said Mpox is not an airborne virus.
You essentially get it from those blisters on someone's skin. Those blisters contain fluid, and those fluids are loaded with the virus. So, in order to get mpox, you need to get in touch with those blisters.
She said those vaccinated against smallpox are less likely to contract mpox.
In South Africa, we vaccinated everyone against smallpox until 1980. So, if you are 45 years or older, youre likely to have been vaccinated against smallpox, and that vaccine makes you 85% less likely to be infected with the monkeypox virus.
Health officials have issued an urgent warning after a highly infectious disease was detected in two states.
NSW Health confirmed three new locally acquired cases of mpox, formerly known as monkey pox, were detected in the state this week.
There were 69 mpox cases between May 2022 and January 2024, NSW Health said in a statement, but the three new cases are the first since January.
The new cases were confirmed this week and are related to current mpox outbreaks interstate, bringing the total number of mpox cases identified in NSW to 72.
NSW Health is urging 'gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to be on the lookout for symptoms of mpox following the recent detection of new cases'.
Executive Director of Health Protection, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, urged men who have sex with men to be vigilant for symptoms.
'Please see your GP or visit a sexual health clinic should symptoms develop,' Dr McAnulty said.
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'Mpox vaccine is recommended for all sexually active men who have sex with men, so get a vaccine if you haven't already been vaccinated.
'It is important to note two doses of vaccine are required, so anyone who has only received one dose should get a second dose at least 28 days after the first.'
The mpox vaccine is free, and a Medicare card is not needed to get it.
Three men, one in his 20s, one in his 30s and one in his 50s, have been diagnosed with the virus, as officials assuring that the risk to the general public is low.
This is due to transmission usually requiring prolonged, close or intimate contact.
Last year, there had been no cases in SA and only two in 2022 when the global outbreak occurred.
In 2024, there have been 67 cases of mpox in the country, with 45 of these cases reported in Victoria.
Mpox's name was changed due to claims it was stigmatising and racist.
Mpox is a viral infection that causes a rash, with symptoms including a fever, chills, exhaustion, headache, muscle aches and backache and swollen lymph nodes.
Symptoms can occur up to 21 days after exposure, with it being transmitted through prolonged or close skin-to-skin contact such as during sexual contact, contaminated items or surfaces.
An mpox vaccination is available, with free vaccines offered to eligible groups and all sexually active gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.
Communicable Disease Control Branch deputy director Dr Louise Flood is encouraging everyone who is eligible to get their vaccine.
'The Risk to the public is low. Mpox is not easily transmitted from person to person without prolonged close or intimate contact,' she said.
'If you do think you have mpox, seek medical advice and get tested.'
What is Mpox?
Mpox is a zoonosis, which is a virus or disease spread to humans from animals. This usually occurs in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa through contact with animals such as rodents, or eating wild game.
There is currently no evidence of spread from animals to humans in Australia.
This disease is spread mainly through direct contact with infected body fluids, lesions or scabs onto the skin. It's also spread through contact with respiratory droplets, such as sneezing, coughing, speaking or breathing.
In the 2022 outbreak, a large proportion of the cases affected men who were sexual active with other men.
Most cases of mpox are mild and can be left without medical treatment, with mild cases only needing paracetamol for the pain and to stay hydrated.
Individuals who are immune compromised are at greater risk of serious cases of mpox.
Workers in Finland's mink farms will be among the world's first to receive the H5N1 vaccine to prevent the potential spread of the bird flu to humans. Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen/EPA-EFE
June 25 (UPI) -- Finland will become the world's first nation to administer bird flu vaccinations stating next week, the nation's health officials announced Tuesday.
The vaccinations are intended to prevent the onset of bird flu and will be given first to workers who are exposed to animals, starting with mink farms.
"The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 and over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances," officials for the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said in a prepared statement.
Finland bought enough vaccines to use on 10,000 people, each of whom will get two injections.
The vaccines are part of an allotment of up to 40 million doses bought by the European Union from Australian vaccine-maker CSL Seqirus.
Some 665,000 doses were delivered to the European Union, and the rest could be delivered over four years.
The H5N1 bird flu strain is blamed for the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds in recent years and has been spreading to cattle herds throughout the United States and to people in some instances.
Finland hasn't had any citizens or visitors test positive for the bird flu virus, but its fur farming operations are considered to run a high risk of transmission to people.
Finland's Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare told media the fur farms are especially vulnerable to bird flu due to fur-bearing animals having frequent contact with wildlife.
Finland's fur farms last year killed about 485,000 animals to stop the bird flu from spreading and possible infecting humans.
A pair of new University of Pennsylvania studies describes the influences on the decision to vaccinate, with one tying greater adult social media use to keep current with recommended COVID-19 and flu vaccinations and one finding that parental attitudes and social norms influenced the decision to vaccinate children against COVID-19.
For the firststudy, researchers from the Annenberg Public Policy Center repeatedly surveyed a probability sample of 1,768 Republicans and Democrats on their social media use and influences on their vaccination decisions from December 2022 to September 2023. The research was published inSocial Science & Medicine.
Our findings not only underscore the positive potential for social media but also reiterate the importance of tailoring messages to specific audiences as a way of improving their health outcomes.
Participants were 51.4% women, 35.1% were Democrats, 30.2% were Republicans, 28.5% were Independents, 60.4% were White, 11.4% were Black, 12.4% were White Hispanic, 0.6% were Black Hispanic, 7.6% were Hispanic alone, 5.5% were Asian, 0.2% were Native American or Alaska Native, 0.6% were multiracial, and 0.2% were of another race.
Overall, Republicans received COVID-19 and flu vaccinations less than Democrats, but the influence of social media on their vaccination decisions was equally strong between the two parties.
Heavier social media use correlated with more frequent vaccination (cross-lagged coefficients, 0.113 for COVID-19 and 0.123 for flu). But Democrats and Republicans reported following different influences behind their decisions, with Democratic heavy social media users saying that they were influenced by information on emerging pathogens and Republican heavy users citing the vaccination decisions of people close to them.
"Our findings not only underscore the positive potential for social media but also reiterate the importance of tailoring messages to specific audiences as a way of improving their health outcomes,"the study authors wrote.
The secondstudy, published inPLOS One, explored the psychosocial correlates of parents' intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.
As part of the Philadelphia Community Engagement Alliance, the researchers surveyed 1,008 Philadelphia parents from September 2021 to February 2022, when guidance for child vaccination was anticipated, and analyzed the results using structural equation modeling.
The average parent age was 36.9 years, 65.1% were women, and 42.3% were of minority races. Parents who received more than one COVID-19 vaccine accounted for 97.2% of participants, while unvaccinated parents made up 2.4%.
Tailored interventions and diverse communication strategies for parental subgroups may be useful to ensure comprehensive and effective vaccination initiatives.
Despite "the vital role of vaccination in promoting wellbeing and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy and refusal emerged as widespread challenges, posing barriers to achieving herd immunity and influencing decision-making processes," the study authors wrote.
The analysis showed that parental attitudes and subjective social norms predicted intent to vaccinate among parents of minority races, while only subjective norms had a significant effect on intention among White parents. Both attitudes and subjective norms influenced women, while neither had a significant effect on men. In general, racial-minority parents reported weaker vaccination intentions than their White peers.
"Despite the survey predating widespread child vaccine availability, findings are pertinent given the need to increase and sustain pediatric vaccinations against COVID-19," the authors wrote. "Interventions promoting positive vaccine attitudes and prosocial norms are warranted. Tailored interventions and diverse communication strategies for parental subgroups may be useful to ensure comprehensive and effective vaccination initiatives."
The researchers noted that public health officials recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older be vaccinated against COVID-19. "In the U.S., 56% of children under 17 had not received the COVID-19 vaccination in 2023," they wrote.
Influenza infection was associated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI), especially for those without a prior hospitalization for coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a Dutch observational case series study.
The adjusted relative incidence of acute MI in the 1 to 7 days after laboratory-confirmed influenza infection (the risk period) compared with the control period of 1 year before and 51 weeks after the risk period was 6.16 (95% CI 4.11-9.24), reported Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen, MD, PhD, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues in NEJM Evidence.
Notably, among patients without prior hospitalization for CAD, the relative incidence of acute MI was 16.60 (95% CI 10.45-26.37) compared with 1.43 (95% CI 0.53-3.84) for those who had been previously hospitalized for CAD.
"I was not surprised to find that influenza infection increases the short-term risk of acute myocardial infarction," Bruijning-Verhagen told MedPage Today. "What did surprise me was the finding that the risk was most elevated for persons without a history of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease."
She pointed out that the study included influenza infections that were severe enough to require medical attention and testing. "We do not know whether the findings also apply to milder influenza infections," she said.
The finding that ambulatory adults with underlying, undiagnosed CAD were most at risk for acute MI is crucial, wrote C. Raina MacIntyre, MBBS, PhD, of the University of New South Wales Sydney in Randwick, Australia, and colleagues in an accompanying editorial.
"[Influenza] vaccination is low-hanging fruit for people at risk of acute myocardial infarction who have not yet had a first event," they noted. "It is time that we viewed influenza vaccine as a routine preventive measure for ACS [acute coronary syndrome] and for people with CAD risk factors, along with statins, blood pressure control, and smoking cessation."
MacIntyre and colleagues pointed to the recent randomized Influenza Vaccination After Myocardial Infarction trial, which demonstrated that getting a flu shot early after an MI or with high-risk coronary heart disease resulted in a lower risk of a composite of all-cause death, MI, or stent thrombosis, and a lower risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death, at 12 months compared with placebo.
Observational studies have also reported a protective effect of the flu vaccine, including a meta-analysis that showed a reduction in acute MI of 29% with the shot.
In the current study, there was no national registry data available for influenza vaccines, so it was not possible to compare acute MI incidence among vaccinated versus unvaccinated people.
Infections with other respiratory viruses besides influenza were also associated with an increased relative incidence of acute MI and "may extend to all acute respiratory infections severe enough to qualify for microbiologic testing," Bruijning-Verhagen and authors wrote.
For RSV, the relative incidence of acute MI was 3.38 (95% CI 1.07-10.71), and was 4.06 (95% CI 2.27-7.25) for other respiratory viruses. For those who had upper respiratory symptoms consistent with a viral infection but had a negative virus test result, the relative incidence was 4.56 (95% CI 2.99-6.94).
The study only included data from before the COVID-19 pandemic, but evidence suggests infection with SARS-CoV-2 is likely associated with detrimental effects on cardiovascular health.
Bruijning-Verhagen and colleagues hypothesized that the increased risk of acute MI after acute influenza and other respiratory infections is caused by increased metabolic demand and effects on inflammatory and coagulation pathways that lead to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and subsequent occlusion.
The authors also speculated that preventive treatment with antihypertensive and antithrombotic medications might mitigate the risk of acute MI after influenza infection, noting that a post-hoc analysis suggested that acute MI risk was elevated in people with influenza who were not taking preventive medications compared with those who were.
However, in a separate editorial, Lori Dodd, PhD, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, questioned whether the associations between flu and acute MI in the study represent a true causal link, "or point to some other (unadjusted) factor linking the two."
"A possible explanation is the effect of workup bias, a tendency to test and identify preexisting conditions ... among patients with an acute infection who have preexisting risk factors," Dodd wrote, noting that the study also found a significant association between influenza and hospitalization for diabetes, with no clear explanation. "The increased surveillance for other diagnoses would result in estimates of increased risk after influenza," she posited.
This observational, registry-based study used a self-controlled case series design and included adults ages 35 and older who were tested for respiratory viruses from January 2008 through December 2019. The researchers identified 158,777 PCR tests for influenza from 16 laboratories across the Netherlands and data were linked to national medication, hospitalization, mortality, and administrative databases. Of the PCR tests, 23,405 were positive for influenza and represented unique illness episodes.
A total of 401 episodes were identified with acute MI occurring 1 year before and 1 year after confirmed influenza infection and were included in analysis; 25 cases occurred 1 to 7 days after influenza infection, and the remaining cases occurred during the control period. Over 60% of influenza infections were due to influenza type A.
The median age of the study population was 74 years, 64% were men, and 64% had been previously hospitalized with CAD. Within a year after being infected with influenza, 35% had died (all causes).
Katherine Kahn is a staff writer at MedPage Today, covering the infectious diseases beat. She has been a medical writer for over 15 years.
Disclosures
The study was funded by the Dutch Research Council.
Bruijning-Verhagen reported no conflicts of interest; one co-author received an honorarium and travel fees from Sanofi.
MacIntyre has received funding from Sanofi.
Dodd reported no conflicts of interest.
Primary Source
NEJM Evidence
Source Reference: de Boer AR, et al "Influenza infection and acute myocardial infarction" NEJM Evid 2024; DOI: 10.1056/EVIDoa2300361.
Secondary Source
NEJM Evidence
Source Reference: MacIntyre CR, et al "Influenza vaccine -- low-hanging fruit for prevention of myocardial infarction" NEJM Evid 2024; DOI: 10.1056/EVIDe2400178.
Additional Source
NEJM Evidence
Source Reference: Dodd LE "Influenza and acute myocardial infarction -- causal link or spurious association?" NEJM Evid 2024; DOI: 10.1056/EVIDe2400175.
Starting next week, Finland will become the first country to offer vaccinations against avian influenza bird flu as officials worry about increasing infections of the disease, including its spread to other farm animals and even humans.
The vaccinations are intended to prevent the onset of bird flu and will be given first to workers who are exposed to animals, starting with mink farms, UPI news service reported.
Finland bought enough vaccines to inoculate 10,000 people, each of whom will get two injections. The vaccines are part of an allotment of up to 40 million doses bought by the European Union from Australian vaccine-maker CSL Seqirus, according to UPI. Some 665,000 doses were delivered to the European Union, and the rest could be delivered over four years.
Finland hasn't had any humans contract bird flu, but its fur farming operations are considered to run a high risk of transmission to people. Its fur farms last year killed about 485,000 animals to stop the disease from spreading, according to UPI.
Hundreds of millions of birds, primarily chickens, have died or been euthanized after contracting or being exposed to the H5N1 bird flu strain, believed to be spread by wild birds. Previously, the disease was confined to birds, but in the past year other farm animals, especially dairy cows, have contracted it and at least three American farm workers have caught it from their cows.
The first human fatality from avian influenza occurred in April in Mexico, a person who apparently had no contact with farm animals but underlying health conditions. The three U.S. farm workers had mild symptoms and recovered quickly.
U.S. government officials have been testing for the disease in the U.S. food supply. Traces of it turned up in 20% of grocery milks sampled by FDA, but the disease was killed by pasteurization, and one dairy cow on its way to becoming ground beef but diverted from the food supply tested positive.
Finland will become world's first country to commence bird flu vaccinations in humans. Image for Representation. Reuters
In a world first, Finland is set to roll out bird flu vaccinations for humans next week, targeting workers who are most exposed to animals. This proactive measure involves vaccinating 10,000 individuals, each receiving two doses, as part of a broader EU effort that includes up to 40 million doses across 15 countries.
CSL Seqirus, the Australian pharmaceutical company behind the vaccines, confirmed to Reuters that Finland will be the first to launch this vaccination strategy. The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances, announced the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
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Although the Nordic country has not yet detected any human cases of the virus, this preemptive approach is part of the countrys efforts to safeguard its population and mitigate bird flu risks, especially from its fur farms.
From birds to cattle to humans
Bird flu, formally known as avian influenza, encompasses various influenza type A viruses that primarily affect birds but can also infect non-avian species, including humans.
Among the many strains, H5N1 is a significant one that has been circulating among wild birds worldwide.
Birds transmit the virus through their saliva, mucus, and faeces, posing a risk to people and animals in close, unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
In a surprising development in March, H5N1 strain rapidly spread through dairy cow herds in the United States, and was described by the CDC as an ongoing multi-state outbreak. The US Department of Agriculture reported infections in 101 dairy herds across 12 states, with several cases also found in dairy workers.
This transmission to cattle surprised scientists, who previously believed cows were not susceptible to the virus.
Beyond cattle, the H5N1 outbreak also severely impacted poultry. According to the CDC, over 97 million poultry have been affected by the virus as of June 20, causing widespread devastation in the industry.
How prevalent is bird flu in humans?
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There have been cases of humans catching H5N1 from time to time in several countries, including Cambodia, Chile, China, Vietnam, Australia, US, and the UK.
Earlier this year, when H5N1 spread to US cow herds, several dairy workers were found infected, though their symptoms were mild.
Generally, humans contract bird flu through direct contact with infected animals or their byproducts, such as carcasses, saliva, or faeces. The virus is also airborne, meaning inhaling near an infected animal can lead to infection.
A notable case surfaced in May involved a 59-year-old man in Mexico who died from H5N2, a bird flu strain never before recorded in humans. The source of his infection remains unclear. Professor Sir Peter Horby, director of the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, told the BBC, This case is one more in a series of developments that collectively could be considered a red flag.
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Although theres no evidence it virus can morph into a form that would pose a big threat to humans, two eminent flu experts warned in an article in the British Medical Journal: the hazard and risk of a major outbreak of H5N1 are large, plausible and imminent.
Finlands preemptive strike Last year, Finland experienced significant bird flu outbreaks on mink and fox fur farms, particularly those that are open-air. These outbreaks led to the culling of approximately 485,000 animals to control the virus. The virus also caused the deaths of thousands of seagulls and other bird species, threatened livestock, and resulted in travel restrictions in some areas.
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Mink is an especially problematic species when it comes to avian influenza infections, a THL representative told Reuters, noting that mink can serve as an effective intermediate host, allowing the virus to mutate into forms more likely to infect humans.
Finnish authorities have identified several high-risk groups for vaccination: workers at fur and poultry farms, lab technicians handling bird flu samples, veterinarians working as animal control officers in fur farm regions, and people working in sanctuaries, livestock farms, or processing plants for animal by-products.
Vaccinations are expected to begin as early as next week in parts of the country. A THL spokesperson mentioned to Reuters that if a human infection of bird flu occurs, close contacts of suspected or confirmed cases will also be offered the vaccine.
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With input from agencies
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Finland will start offering preemptive bird flu vaccinations to certain workers exposed to animals as early as next week, making it the first country to do so, health authorities announced.
The country has secured vaccines for 10,000 people through a joint EU procurement effort, which included up to 40 million doses for 15 nations from CSL Seqirus, an Australian manufacturer.
CSL Seqirus confirmed to news agency Reuters that Finland would be the first to roll out the vaccine.
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Vaccinations will begin next week in some parts of Finland, according to a THL spokesperson. The vaccines will be administered to workers at fur and poultry farms, lab technicians handling bird flu samples, veterinarians working as animal control officers, and people working in sanctuaries for wild birds, livestock farms, and animal by-product processing plants.
If a human infection of avian influenza occurs, close contacts of the suspected or confirmed case will also be offered the vaccine, THL added.
"The vaccine will be available to those aged 18 and over who are at higher risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or circumstances," stated the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has led to the death or culling of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide and has increasingly spread to mammals, including cows in the United States, and in some cases, to humans.
Although Finland has not reported any human cases of the virus, the country is keen to begin vaccinations due to the transmission risks from its fur farms.
"In Finland, we have fur farms where animals can come into contact with wildlife," explained Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek of THL.
Last year, Finland faced significant bird flu outbreaks among mink and foxes at its mostly open-air fur farms, resulting in the culling of about 4,85,000 animals to prevent further spread.
ALL ABOUT BIRD FLU
Bird flu or avian influenza, is widespread globally. Among the many strains of bird flu, H5N1 is a significant one, circulating among birds.
The viruses have caused outbreaks in poultry flocks and mammals. The disease causes influenza A virus. The symptoms in birds include diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, swollen heads and sudden death.
Birds transmit the virus to other beings through their saliva, mucus, and faeces, posing a risk to people and animals. Unprotected contact with infected birds increase the risk.
As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms can range from mild such as cough, headache, sore throat and fever, to severe conditions like pneumonia requiring hospitalisation in humans.
Published By:
Daphne Clarance
Published On:
Jun 26, 2024
