Category: Flu Virus

Research into Finnish outbreak revealed genetic adaptations.

The vulnerability of fur farms to avian influenza viruses could increase the virus pandemic potential, a new study has suggested.

Between July and October 2023, the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in fur animals on 27 fur farms in Finland.

Although some of the infected mammals were asymptomatic, in others it caused fatal pneumonia and meningitis. Neurological symptoms were more common than respiratory symptoms.

In response to the outbreak, authorities in Finland quickly implemented control measures, including culling infected animals and introducing stronger biosecurity requirements on fur farms.

Analysing virus samples, the researchers found that the outbreak was likely caused by large-scale direct exposure to infected wild birds. According to the researchers, this highlights the importance of robust biosecurity measures.

The analysis also revealed genetic mutations which are associated with increased adaptability to mammals. During the outbreak, there was likely transmission of the virus between fur animals.

The genetic adaptions mean that outbreaks in fur farms could potentially pose a future risk to human health, the researchers suggest.

The study concluded: Although prevention of outbreaks is the main target, improving preparedness and response capacity of both fur farms and authorities is essential, as well as being alert for any increase in mortality on the farms.

Virological surveillance designed for early detection of outbreaks is an essential part of disease control and we recommend active monitoring, especially when HPAI is found in bird populations in the vicinity of animal farms.

The importance of implementing safer fur farming practices is highlighted by the observations of genetic changes during the outbreak associated with mammalian adaptation, which may increase the pandemic potential of the circulating avian influenza viruses.

The study has been published in the journal Eurosurveillance.

Image Shutterstock

More:

Avian flu virus in fur farm outbreak adapted to mammals - MRCVSonline

By Luke Andrews Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com 19:01 26 Jun 2024, updated 23:31 26 Jun 2024

Ice cream, butter and cheese are among the latest products set to be tested for bird flu by the FDA amid a rampant outbreak in dairy cows.

In a release, the agency revealed it would swab 155 products bought from grocery stores nationwide for traces of the H5N1 virus.

If any are positive for the virus, further tests will be carried out to determine whether the virus inside them is 'alive' or able to cause an infection in humans.

The expanded testing builds on previous, which found the virusin grocery store milks, cottage cheeses and sour creams, but in every case, the virus was 'dead' and unable to cause an infection in humans.

Ground beef, infant formula and powdered milk were also all swabbed for the virus and all tested negative.

More than 120 dairy herds across the US have now tested positive for bird flu, triggering increased concerns among health officials over the virus entering this country's food supply.

Officials have so far suggested the risk to the public is 'low' because dairy products are pasteurized where milk is quickly heated to 162 degrees Fahrenheit (72 Celsius) and then cooled to kill off any dangerous pathogens.

Tests have shown bird flu virus fragments found in products do not multiply in lab experiments, revealing they are 'dead' or unable to make copies of themselves and infect humans.

Those who drink raw milk and its products, however, are at risk because the products are not pasteurized and could still contain 'live' virus.

Officials have urged people not to consume raw milk or any product containing it.

But the alarm has had the opposite effectfor many, with data suggesting sales of raw milk have jumped 21 percent. One farm in California says it can barely keep the milk on its shelves.

And fitness and stay-at-home-mom influencers are encouraging people to drink raw milk products.

There have been no recorded cases of people catching bird flu after eating dairy products from grocery stores or ground beef.

But in April, a former FDA official warned DailyMail.comthere was a risk of contracting the virus from steaks that were not cooked enough saying the virus could survive cooking in the center of the meat and then be consumed by people.

In addition to the new products, the FDA said in the press it would also test more samples of pasteurized milks, cheeses and cream cheeses.

Click here to resize this module

It will collect samples from stores across the US, including in states where testing has not been carried out, and take them to its labs to be screened for the virus.

Previously, 300 samples of milks and cream cheeses were tested from states including New York, New Jersey, California and Texas.

Of these, 60 or 20 percent were found to contain the virus.

The FDA did not release the names of the bird flu-contaminated products andsaid it plans to release the full results in the 'near future'.

No infected dairy cow herds are known to be contributing to the raw milk supply, said Eric Deeble, USDA's acting senior adviser for its bird flu response.

Three dairy farm workers have caught bird flu in the US so far this year, one in Texas and two in Michigan. All three worked closely with cattle infected with the virus.

The CDC says it has monitored 690 people who were exposed to animals suspected or confirmed to be infected with bird flu, officials say.

Fifty-one people who developed flu-like symptoms have also been tested.

Read more from the original source:

Spread of bird flu in the US sparks expanded mass testing of dairy products - Daily Mail

During COVID, shortages of tests led to backlogs in getting tested. Experts worry that the U.S. hasn't learned from those mistakes and wouldn't be prepared for a major bird flu outbreak. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption

Its been nearly three months since the U.S. government announced an outbreak of the bird flu virus on dairy farms. The World Health Organization considers the virus a public health concern because of its potential to cause a pandemic, yet the U.S. has tested only about 45 people across the country.

Were flying blind, said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. With so few tests run, she said, its impossible to know how many farmworkers have been infected, or how serious the disease is. A lack of testing means the country might not notice if the virus begins to spread between people the gateway to another pandemic.

Wed like to be doing more testing. Theres no doubt about that, said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDCs bird flu test is the only one the Food and Drug Administration has authorized for use right now.

Shah said the agency has distributed these tests to about 100 public health labs in states. Weve got roughly a million available now, he said, and expect 1.2 million more in the next two months.

But Nuzzo and other researchers are concerned because the CDC and public health labs arent generally where doctors order tests from. That job tends to be done by major clinical laboratories run by companies and universities, which lack authorization for bird flu testing.

As the outbreak grows with at least 114 herds infected in 12 states as of June 18 researchers said the CDC and FDA are not moving fast enough to remove barriers that block clinical labs from testing. In one case, the diagnostics company Neelyx Labs was on hold with a query for more than a month.

Clinical labs are part of the nations public health system, said Alex Greninger, assistant director of the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Laboratory. Pull us into the game. Were stuck on the bench.

The CDC recognized the need for clinical labs in a June 10 memo. It calls on industry to develop tests for the H5 strain of bird flu virus, the one circulating among dairy cattle. The limited availability and accessibility of diagnostic tests for Influenza A(H5) poses several pain points, the CDC wrote. The points include a shortage of tests if demand spikes.

Researchers, including former CDC director Tom Frieden and Anthony Fauci, who led the nations response to COVID, cite testing failures as a key reason the U.S. fared so poorly with COVID. Had COVID tests been widely available in early 2020, they say, the U.S. could have detected many cases before they turned into outbreaks that prompted business shutdowns and cost lives.

In an article published this month, Nuzzo and a group of colleagues noted that the problem wasnt testing capability but a failure to deploy that capability swiftly. The U.S. reported excess mortality eight times as high as other countries with advanced labs and other technological advantages.

A COVID test vetted by the WHO was available by mid-January 2020. Rather than use it, the United States stuck to its own multistage process, which took several months. Namely, the CDC develops its own test then sends it to local public health labs. Eventually, the FDA authorizes tests from clinical diagnostic labs that serve hospital systems, which must then scale up their operations. That took time, and people died amid outbreaks at nursing homes and prisons, waiting on test results.

In contrast, South Korea immediately rolled out testing through private sector laboratories, allowing it to keep schools and businesses open. They said, Gear up, guys; were going to need a ton of tests, said Frieden, now president of the public health organization Resolve to Save Lives. You need to get commercials in the game.

Nuzzo and her colleagues describe a step-by-step strategy for rolling out testing in health emergencies, in response to mistakes made obvious by COVID. But in this bird flu outbreak, the U.S. is weeks behind that playbook.

Ample testing is critical for two reasons. First, people need to know if theyre infected so that they can be quickly treated, Nuzzo said. Over the past two decades, roughly half of about 900 people around the globe known to have gotten the bird flu died from it.

Although the three farmworkers diagnosed with the disease this year in the United States had only mild symptoms, like a runny nose and inflamed eyes, others may not be so lucky. The flu treatment Tamiflu works only when given soon after symptoms start.

The CDC and local health departments have tried to boost bird flu testing among farmworkers, asking them to be tested if they feel sick. Farmworker advocates list several reasons why their outreach efforts are failing. The outreach might not be in the languages the farmworkers speak, for example, or address such concerns as a loss of employment.

If people who live and work around farms simply see a doctor when they or their children fall ill, those cases could be missed if the doctors send samples to their usual clinical laboratories. The CDC has asked doctors to send samples from people with flu symptoms who have exposure to livestock or poultry to public health labs.

If you work on a farm with an outbreak and youre worried about your welfare, you can get tested, Shah said. But sending samples to public health departments requires knowledge, time, and effort.

I really worry about a testing scheme in which busy clinicians need to figure this out, Nuzzo said.

The other reason to involve clinical laboratories is so the nation can ramp up testing if the bird flu is suddenly detected among people who didnt catch it from cattle. Theres no evidence the virus has started to spread among people, but that could change in the coming months as it evolves.

The fastest way to get clinical labs involved, Greninger said, is to allow them to use a test the FDA has already authorized: the CDCs bird flu test. On April 16 the CDC opened up that possibility by offering royalty-free licenses for components of its bird flu tests to accredited labs.

Several commercial labs asked for licenses. We want to get prepared before things get crazy, said Shyam Saladi, chief executive officer of the diagnostics company Neelyx Labs, which offered COVID and mpox tests during shortages in those outbreaks. His experience over the past two months reveals the types of barriers that prevent labs from moving swiftly.

In email exchanges with the CDC, shared with KFF Health News, Saladi specifies the labs desire for licenses relevant to the CDCs test, as well as a right to reference the CDCs data in its application for FDA authorization.

That right to reference makes it easier for one company to use a test developed by another. It allows the new group to skip certain analyses conducted by the original maker, by telling the FDA to look at data in the original FDA application. This was commonplace with COVID tests at the peak of the pandemic.

At first, the CDC appeared eager to cooperate. A right of reference to the data should be available, Jonathan Motley, a patent specialist at the CDC, wrote in an email to Saladi on April 24. Over the next few weeks, the CDC sent him information about transferring its licenses to the company, and about the test, which prompted Neelyxs researchers to buy testing components and try out the CDCs process on their equipment.

But Saladi grew increasingly anxious about the ability to reference the CDCs data in the companys FDA application. Do you have an update with respect to the right of reference? he asked the CDC on May 13. If there are any potential sticking points with respect to this, would you mind letting us know please?

He asked several more times in the following weeks, as the number of herds infected with the bird flu ticked upward and more cases among farmworkers were announced. Given that it is May 24 and the outbreak has only expanded, can CDC provide a date by which it plans to respond? Saladi wrote.

The CDC eventually signed a licensing agreement with Neelyx but informed Saladi that it would not, in fact, provide the reference. Without that, Saladi said, he could not move forward with the CDCs test at least not without more material from the agency. Its really frustrating, he said. We thought they really intended to support the development of these tests in case they are needed.

Shah, from the CDC, said test manufacturers should generate their own data to prove that theyre using the CDCs test correctly. We dont have a shortage such that we need to cut corners, he said. Quality reigns supreme.

The CDC has given seven companies, including Neelyx, licenses for its tests although none have been cleared to use them by the FDA. Only one of those companies asked for the right of reference, Shah said. The labs may be assisted by additional material that the agency is developing now, to allow them to complete the analyses even without the reference.

This should have happened sooner, Saladi told KFF Health News when he was told about the CDCs pending additional material. Theres been no communication about this.

Greninger said the delays and confusion are reminiscent of the early months of COVID, when federal agencies prioritized caution over speed. Test accuracy is important, he said, but excessive vetting can cause harm in a fast-moving outbreak like this one. The CDC should be trying to open this up to labs with national reach and a good reputation, he said. I fall on the side of allowing labs to get ready thats a no-brainer.

Clinical laboratories have also begun to develop their own tests from scratch. But researchers said theyre moving cautiously because of a recent FDA rule that gives the agency more oversight of lab-developed tests, lengthening the pathway to approval. In an email to KFF Health News, FDA press officer Janell Goodwin said the rules enforcement will occur gradually.

However, Susan Van Meter, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association, a trade group whose members include the nations largest commercial diagnostic labs, said companies need more clarity: Its slowing things down because its adding to the confusion about what is allowable.

Creating tests for the bird flu is already a risky bet because demand is uncertain. Its not clear whether this outbreak in cattle will trigger an epidemic or fizzle out. In addition to issues with the CDC and FDA, clinical laboratories are trying to figure out whether health insurers or the government will pay for bird flu tests.

These wrinkles will be smoothed eventually. Until then, the vanishingly slim numbers of people tested, along with the lack of testing in cattle, may draw criticism from other parts of the world.

Think about our judgment of Chinas transparency at the start of COVID, Nuzzo said. The current situation undermines Americas standing in the world.

KFF Health Newsis a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Visit link:

U.S. labs not prepared test for bird flu in case of outbreak : Shots - Health News - NPR

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) in swine are a source of risk to human beings due to their high genetic diversity and absence of population-level immunity. A recent Nature Communications study characterizes influenza viruses, with a particular focus on the -H1N2 virus, to determine their potential to cause a future pandemic.

Study: Potential pandemic risk of circulating swine H1N2 influenza viruses. Image Credit: Fahroni / Shutterstock.com

Influenza viruses possess the ability to evolve specific traits, which facilitates persistent transmission to new species. Although wild aquatic birds are the primary natural reservoir for these virus, pigs can also act as critical hosts and mixing vessel for viral gene segments of IAVs. This poses a threat to future pandemics, thus emphasizing the importance of monitoring and characterizing circulating swine viruses.

Neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA), which evolve seasonally due to antigenic drift, are key determinants of virus transmissibility, infectivity, host specificity, and pathogenicity.

Three endemic IAV subtypes, including swH1N1, swH1N2, and swH3N2, predominate in swine. The H1 classical swine lineage (1A) comprises the -H1 (1A.1), -H1 (1A.2), and -H1 (1A.3) clades, whereas the swine lineage (1B) includes the -H1 (1B.2) clades. In the United States, human infections have been primarily due to 18 H1N1, 35 H1N2, and 439 H3N2.

A reassortment between swine-, avian-, and human-origin viruses has been observed in recent swine IAVs. The antigenic drift of HA and NA may also lead to the emergence of novel viruses that the human population lacks immunity against.

The current study created a decision tree to aid in characterizing and assessing the pandemic risk of endemic swine IAVs. The decision tree utilizes the extensive research conducted since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic using both in vitro and in vivo methods.

The current study determines the pandemic potential of an -H1 (1A.1.1.3) clade strain A/swine/Texas/A02245420/2020 (-swH1N2) and the -H1 (1A.3.3.3) clade strain A/swine/Minnesota/A02245409/2020 (-swH1N1). These clades were selected because of their geographical distribution, detection frequency, interspecies transmission from pigs to ferrets, reported human variant events, and loss in cross-reactivity against human seasonal vaccines.

Previous studies have shown that representatives of the -swH1N2 clade had antigenic distance from human vaccine strains, which led to differential transmission from pigs to ferrets and lower recognition by the human sera. Consequently, cross-neutralizing antibodies against -swH1N2 in H1N1pdm09- or H3N2-imm ferrets were not detected in human sera, thus indicating that initial seasonal virus infection did not generate immunity.

Variable levels of anti-N2 antibodies were identified in human sera across all birth years. This finding implies that some level of protection could be provided by this NA-based immunity, at least in some sub-populations.

Prior research by researchers of the current study demonstrated that previously acquired immunity could affect the susceptibility to heterosubtypic viruses and that neutralizing antibodies do not mediate this type of immunity. Therefore, previously acquired immunity through divergent strains could influence the susceptibility of ambient viruses.

In fact, -swH1N2 was efficiently transmitted through the air to ferrets, irrespective of their immune status. However, the severity of the disease was lower in animals with prior immunity. A similar phenomenon could explain the lower-than-expected mortality and morbidity during the 2009 pandemic.

In the absence of neutralizing antibodies, CD8+ T-cells can confer protection against emerging influenza virus strains, as these cells recognize internally conserved influenza virus proteins. In fact, CD8+ T-cells with cross-reactivity against subtypes of the influenza virus have provided rapid recovery from illness and more efficient clearance of the virus.

No protective effect of immunity to human seasonal viruses was noted with regard to -swH1N2 airborne infection. Nevertheless, infected ferrets with prior immunity were found to successfully and rapidly eliminate -swH1N2 while also exhibiting reduced overall virus shedding time and less severe symptoms as a result of H1N1pdm09 immunity.

Nevertheless, ferrets were still able to transmit H1N1pdm0 with an efficiency of 50%. Thus, H1N1pdm0 can spread undetected due to the lack of disease severity in immune animals and, as a result, create pandemic risk.

The study findings demonstrate that the -swH1N2 virus strain poses a higher pandemic risk than the -swH1N1 strain, thus necessitating the need for additional surveillance efforts to detect zoonotic events in a timely manner. Additionally, more vaccination campaigns should be launched to protect swine from this H1 clade, which should aid in reducing viral circulation in source populations.

See the article here:

New study warns of potential pandemic risk from -H1N2 swine flu virus - News-Medical.Net

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

Many of the scientists Apoorva Mandavilli spoke to seemed convinced of the same thing: The bird flu virus, called H5N1, could cause the worlds next pandemic.

That was in 2002. And though H5N1, which first surfaced in 1996, did not immediately become as widespread as once feared, it never went away. Since 2003, H5N1 has infected nearly 900 people around the world, about half of whom died of their illness.

In the two decades since she began covering bird flu, Ms. Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times, has reported on a number of infectious diseases, such as Covid-19 and mpox, previously known as monkeypox, as well as scourges like H.I.V., tuberculosis and malaria.

Recently, shes turned her attention back to H5N1, which is rapidly gaining new hosts, having made the leap from birds to various mammals, including dairy cows. According to public health authorities, three farmworkers in the United States, all of whom worked with dairy cows, became infected this spring with mostly mild symptoms.

In an interview, Ms. Mandavilli shared how the Covid pandemic has changed the way she covers viruses, including H5N1, and what we need to know about the current bird flu outbreak. This interview has been edited and condensed.

How does H5N1 compare with other viruses or infectious diseases youve reported on over your career?

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Read more from the original source:

How The Times Is Covering the Bird Flu Outbreak - The New York Times

Topline

An ongoing bird flu outbreak among U.S. dairy cows has led to three confirmed human cases in dairy workers, and although there arent any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, experts warn safety measures like masks, vaccines and safety goggles will be needed if a pandemic is declared due to the viruss deadly nature.

An expert inspects a dead Mallard duck at a laboratory.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Forbes its monitoring human and animal exposure to H5N1 bird flu and watching the situation carefully, though the current public health risk is low.

Although rare, bird flu typically affects humans whove come in contact with infected birds, and there arent any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission.

The virus may spread from animals to humans through airborne transmission and through contact with infected surfaces, Dr. Jessica Justman, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at Columbia University, told Forbes, though the exact transmission process isnt fully understood.

Former CDC director Robert Redfieldwho helped oversee the agency during the COVID-19 pandemictold NewsNation earlier this month a bird flu pandemic is inevitable, so its not a question of if, its a question of when.

Redfield brought up bird flus high death rate as a cause for concern if a pandemic were to be declared: Of the 889 confirmed human cases between 2003 and May, 52% resulted in death, according to data from the World Health Organization.

WHO defines pandemics as large-scale outbreaks that can claim millions of lives, disrupt societies and devastate economies; it wont declare a bird flu pandemic until the virus causes several outbreaks in at least one country and spreads to another with high death rates in at least one segment of the population.

Earlier this year, the CDC began including H5N1 in its influenza A wastewater surveillance data in an effort to better monitor the spread of bird flu, but due to limitations, its not distinguishable between other influenza A viruses, and testing cant determine the source of the virus, so it could come from a human, animal or animal byproduct.

Experts have cautioned that if a bird flu pandemic is declared, safety measures will need to be put in place to mitigate the spread. Dr. Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist with the nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Forbes methods like masking and social distancing should be the first implemented. Those are all the kinds of interventions we need to put in place to buy time for the vaccine, Bisanzio said. Justman told Forbes new methods like protective eyewear may be effective safety measures, especially among farm workers who have daily contact with potentially infectious animals. This is because all three U.S. dairy farmers infected with bird flu had eye-related symptoms like pink eye and irritation, indicating the virus may spread when humans touch or rub their eyes with infected hands. She also pointed to a recent CDC bird flu study that found ferretsthat as mammals have similar respiratory tracts to humansbecame infected after eye exposure. Dr. Maciej Boni, an epidemiologist and professor at Temple University, told Forbes he doesnt think safety measures for a bird flu pandemic will be similar to those put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic because experts dont know yet how the virus will behave if it mutates and begins transmitting between humans. H5N1 is not 10 or 20 times more deadly [than COVID-19], its 1,000 times more deadly, Boni said.

There are several FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, including ones made by Sequirs and Biomedical Corporation of Quebec, a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. The U.S. has a stockpile of FDA-approved bird flu vaccines, but theyre not enough to vaccinate the entire country. Sequirs said it expects to have 150 million vaccines ready within six months of an announcement of a human bird flu pandemic. I think the right course of action is to simply premanufacture several 100 million doses of vaccines and just have them ready, Boni said regarding pandemic preparation. Sequirs also announced in May it was selected by a brand of the Department of Health and Human Services to create almost 5 million doses of its bird flu vaccines as a form of pre-pandemic preparedness. Bisanzio pointed out better communication between public health agencies and the public will be needed for a bird flu vaccine rollout because there was a lot of misinformation [about the COVID-19 pandemic]

As of May 21, more than 97 million poultry (primarily chickens) in 48 states have been euthanized because of bird flu since 2022, and cases have been confirmed in 118 dairy cow herds across 12 states, according to data from the CDC (unlike chickens, cows appear to recover from the virus). The Department of Agriculture believes wild migratory birds are the original source of the cow outbreaks that recently has experts concerned the virus may mutate and spread more easily in humans. Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist for WHO, called the cattle infections in the U.S. a huge concern, urging public health officials to continue closely monitoring the situation because it may evolve into transmitting in different ways. Though theres no evidence a human has contracted bird flu from eating infected meat, the USDA urges people to eat meat prepared at safe temperatures. To be properly cooked, whole beef cuts must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, ground meat must be cooked to 160 degrees and poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees. Rare and medium rare steaks fall below this temperature. Properly cooked eggs with an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kill bacteria and viruses including bird flu, according to the CDC. Consuming unpasteurized dairy products is also advised against.

Bird Flu (H5N1) Explained: Toddler Infected With Another StrainSecond Human Case In India (Forbes)

View post:

Here's Why COVID Measures Like Masking And New Ones Like Safety Goggles Could Return If A Bird Flu Pandemic Is ... - Forbes

Since March 29, Michigan has had 24 dairy operations test positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The states dairy farmers are facing unprecedented challenges, says Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Tim Boring, who recently announced emergency response funding to help advance research on the disease and aid farms in recovery.

In exchange for working with federal and state government agencies to investigate how the virus infected their operations, the state is offering up to 20 HPAI-infected farms $28,000 each for complete epidemiological investigations and dairy herd real-time longitudinal studies.

This assistance is in addition to funding already available from USDA to HPAI-affected dairy farms in Michigan.

With a focus on mitigating the spread of HPAI, Michigan's response has been a one-health approach, working with federal, state and local partners to address both animal and public health concerns rapidly, Boring says.

Three USDA emergency management teams have been on the ground assisting the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) in day-to-day responses at all affected poultry facilities statewide. An epidemiological team from USDA is also deployed to further assist in tracing and testing within dairy herds to be able to provide real-time information.

Our HPAI-impacted farms have been incredibly cooperative in Michigans one-health approach to combat this disease, Boring says.

Heres the history in Michigan:

Feb. 22, 2022: HPAI was first confirmed in a backyard poultry flock in Kalamazoo County.

2022: A total of 21 poultry flocks were depopulated because of the virus.

2023: Seven poultry flocks were depopulated.

March 29, 2024: MDARD confirmed HPAI in a large Montcalm County commercial dairy operation of more than 500 cows, with about 10% testing positive for the virus. The operation received asymptomatic animal(s) from a HPAI-positive Texas herd.

April 1 to now: A total of 23 Michigan dairy operations and eight poultry facilities have tested positive for HPAI.

2024: Ionia County has been hit hard with the virus with five dairy operations, three large commercial hen-laying operations (6 million-plus poultry) and one backyard flock testing positive.

2024: Gratiot County has had five dairy operations and two poultry operations test positive, while Clinton County has had five dairy operations test positive.

A quarter of the countrys H5N1-infected dairy farms are in Michigan

Unlike poultry that succumb to the disease rather quickly and must be depopulated once an operation has had even one animal test positive, it is almost never fatal in dairy cows, who may exhibit symptoms of a fever, stiff manure, abnormal milk and a drop in production, according to MDARD.

HPAI-positive animals are isolated in sick pens, potentially treated with antibiotics and fluids, while their milk is diverted from the supply chain.

However, as the virus bounces back and forth between species (there are close to 30 animals species confirmed), there is some concern mutations could make it transmittable between humans (currently not) and potentially cause a pandemic.

Michigan has had two dairy farmworkers recovering from the virus, and the U.S. has four total. At this time, the CDC considers the risk of HPAI to the general public to be low.HPAI is zoonotic, meaning it can spread from animals to humans, butit doesn't easily infect humans and doesn't currently spread easily between people, CDC reports.

USDA and MDARD officials say there is no concern with the safety of the commercial milk supply because products are pasteurized before entering the market, in activating bacteria and viruses.

On May 1, Boring signed an "Determination of Extraordinary Emergency" to further protect Michigan's poultry and livestock industries from the ongoing threat of HPAI. Michigan's order enhances USDA's federal order, which was issued April 24.

To sign up for HPAI alerts, go to michigan.gov/birdflu or to find additional information on MDARDs ongoing response efforts.

New information, Keeping You and Your Flock Healthy Information on Avian Influenza has been released byMichigan State University Extensionwith specific practices backyard poultry owners and other poultry enthusiasts can implement to help reduce the risk of disease transmission to their home flocks.

This information highlights what HPAI is and how it spreads, symptoms for infected birds and humans, simple methods farmers can use to reduce the risk of disease in their flock, and what to do if you suspect that birds are infected with HPAI.

Read more here:

Michigan pays dairy farmers affected by avian flu - Farm Progress

This spring, a goat on a Minnesota farm tested positive for bird flu the common name for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It was the first known incidence in the U.S. of the current bird flu outbreak involving a goat.

Earlier this month, Minnesota became the 11th state to find bird flu in a cow, when a farmer in Benton County noticed symptoms in a handful of animals.

Sahan Journal talked to public health experts to identify who is at risk, what protections they can take and what to watch for.

So, should you be concerned?

For Minnesotans who dont live or work near farm animals, theres no need to worry about your personal risk right now, experts agree. So far, only three people in the United States none in Minnesota have tested positive for this bird flu, and all three recovered.

But Minnesotas farmers and farmworkers should be on alert.

I am very worried about these workers, Jennifer B. Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, said on a call with health and science reporters across the U.S. So far the infections that have happened have been mild, but I do not see anything in the data to give me hope that future cases will necessarily be mild. Im also worried that this virus could mutate and become a pandemic threat.but before we even get to that, I think we need to be talking more about the workers who are in harms way.

In Minnesota, that includes about 112,000 Minnesotans who work in agriculture, on some 68,000 farms. In southern Minnesota, between 8,500 and 21,000 farmworkers immigrated from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, according to research from Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER). Roughly half of those workers are undocumented.

Bird flu is an infection from a virus that has usually spread in birds. The current type avian influenza A virus H5N1 has caused widespread outbreaks in wild birds and poultry flocks since 2022. Minnesota also leads the country in the number of turkey flocks infected. Bird flu usually kills poultry; millions of Minnesota turkeys and chickens have been lost; Minnesota egg and poultry producers have received over $135 million from the federal government in relief, according to the Star Tribune.

Recently, infections from the virus have spilled over into mammals, including goats, cows, and also humans.

So far, the infections in cows and humans have been much milder than in birds. But influenza viruses are notorious for changing quickly, said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. So the currently low risk to humans could change in a heartbeat, Osterholm said.

Because bird flu has the capacity to infect humans and because influenza viruses can change so quickly, public health officials monitor it closely. The U.S. government maintains a stockpile of vaccine for H5N1, although the stores of current inoculation would need to be scaled up and possibly adapted depending on how much the virus changes. (The annual flu shot you may have gotten for the 2023-24 season does not protect you against bird flu.)

Since the beginning of its emergence in 1996/7 in Asia, there have been 907 human cases documented around the world, and half of those have died, Osterholm said.

Crucially, there hasnt been any evidence of human-to-human transmission of avian flu since 2005. Its likely some cases have occurred but havent been identified and reported, Osterholm said. But there dont appear to be clusters of symptomatic people, indicating that the virus is unlikely to be circulating widely in humans.

Minnesota has done more testing than most states. But still only 46 people have been tested since 2022, when the current outbreak started.

One of the challenges, Osterholm said, is that many of the farmworkers at risk are undocumented and essential to the industry.

The jump of bird flu from cattle to humans has prompted new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency recommends a protocol that involves seven layers of personal protective equipment for anyone working with sick or dead animals, animal feces, or raw milk.

Thats the ideal, but health officials recognize that a 17-step process is not always realistic. Hospital workers who wear that much PPE report getting hot and uncomfortable, said Stacy Holzbauer, the State Public Health Veterinarian for the Minnesota Department of Health.

Here we have people working on a dairy farm, she said, and its hot, dirty, wet, work. We have to allow people to have flexibility.

Prioritize covering your mucous membranes, she said that is, your eyes, nose and mouth with goggles, an N95 mask and/or face shield, and gloves. If you can do those, that is great, she said.

Minnesota is offering free N95 respirators, goggles, face shields, and gloves to farms through MDH, the Board of Animal Health, the Department of Agriculture, and the University of Minnesota Extension. Anyone who works on a farm can request a one-time shipment of supplies.

But so far, only 43 farms in Minnesota have requested PPE.

And many questions remain about the best and most appropriate forms of PPE, Osterholm said. Beyond the practical considerations, how effective will an N95 mask be in an environment that can get moist and humid?

We need to have a lot of humility here, Osterholm said. We have to admit that we have many, many more questions than answers at this point.

For now, the most important thing farmworkers can do is pay close attention to any potential symptoms. (If you work on a farm where animals have tested positive for the virus, the state health department will contact you.)

If you develop any of the above, make sure to tell your health care provider that you work with animals, Holzbauer said. The provider can send a sample from your nose or throat to the state health department, which has the only lab in Minnesota that is testing for the virus.

We want people to have a low threshold for seeking care and testing, she said. In most situations, itll be benignbut then you know.

If you dont have a regular health-care provider, you can find a health center that treats people without insurance.

Many of Minnesotas farmworkers may not have paid time off to seek health care or take sick leave. If they do report an illness, they may worry about losing their job, experts said.

We dont want to scare them off from continuing to work, Osterholm said. We need to provide some kind of protection both from a legal and health perspective.

You are not required to provide immigration status to medical providers, said Holzbauer of MDH.

Even if a doctor does know your immigration status, they are not allowed to contact ICE to disclose that information. Federal privacy laws broadly protect patients and doctors from revealing immigration status.

What should farmworkers expect if theyve been near animals that have tested positive for H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu? Holzbauer says the state health department will monitor symptoms as long as the animals are in quarantine. But health officials wont ask about immigration status or residency, Holzbauer said.

We only ask about your job duties, what kind of PPE you were wearing, and how you are feeling, she said.

The risk is currently low, especially for people who dont work on farms. But everyone should avoid raw milk and cheese made from unpasteurized milk. That includes many types of queso fresco, a popular Mexican cheese, the CDCs Dr. Jay Butler noted in a recent media call. Queso fresco was the culprit of a recent listeria outbreak. Pasteurization kills pathogens like listeria - and H5N1 - which protects consumers from dairy-based illnesses.

Public health officials emphasize that while the current risk is low, monitoring is essential. They worry that a reassortment, or mutation, of the virus could allow for transmission from one human to another.

That could create a new virus with pandemic potential, Osterholm said.

Pigs are often the vehicle where viruses mix and evolve, because they are susceptible to both avian and human flu viruses. Signs of sick pigs could be a red flag. New research, which has not yet been peer reviewed, suggests that the udders of cows are also susceptible to both avian and human viruses, Osterholm said. This might be another route for cross-species infections.

Clusters of symptoms in certain geographic locations would be another red flag, Osterholm said.

To detect these red flags as early as possible, public health experts have called for better surveillance. Although Minnesota has done more testing than most states, the testing represents just a fraction of farmworkers.

Of some concern, Osterholm added, is that the third known human case caused respiratory symptoms, whereas the first two cases caused only conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

States are also monitoring wastewater, but the technology isnt advanced enough to make meaningful use of the results. (When water tests positive, for example, its not clear whether the virus is from animals or humans).

Ideally, the disease will be controlled in animals, Holzbauer said, keeping it away from humans.

At this point in time, its a concern for those who work in these industries its not a general public health concern, Holzbauer said.

Read more from the original source:

Bird flu in Minnesota: Advice for farmworkers and everyone else - Sahan Journal

At least 1,072 people from across the country have been infected with A(H1N1), also known as the swine flu virus, since January, this year.

Data provided by the National Public Health Laboratory shows that 373 others were infected with the influenza B virus, 75 with the A (H3) virus, also known as Hong Kong Flu, 13 with co-infection of swine flu and coronavirus, and two with co-infection of influenza B and coronavirus.

What concerns public virologists and infectious disease experts in Nepal is that less than one-fifth of cases of influenza-like illnesses are diagnosed, and neither the doctors attending patients nor the authorities concerned bother to know the real cause of ailments.

They say that of the swab samples of 8,739 people with an influenza-like illness, only 1,743 tested positive for various kinds of influenza.

The cause of ailments of the rest of people are not known, which should be a cause of serious concern to the researchers as well as policymakers, said Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. The criteria for collecting the swab samples for influenza test is that patients should have an influenza-like illness, but only less than one-fifth of samples are testing positive for influenza.

The laboratory only maintains a record of the positive cases but does not tell anything about fatalities due to infections. Experts say the number of people infected with influenza could be several times higher than the data provided by the laboratory, as many people suffering from influenza-like illness do not seek treatment. Even for those who do seek treatment, in most cases, the underlying cause of their ailments often remains undiagnosed.

The next pandemic could also be a pandemic of respiratory viruses, said Pun. We will not be able to lessen the risk of outbreaks in future if we continue ignoring the risks. Authorities must step up surveillance and investigate the underlying causes of these ailments.

A recent report by the Nepal Statistics Office also shows that cold and fever remain a significant concern, with an increase from 43.7 percent in 1995/96 to 51. 5 percent in 2022/23.

Doctors say more people get infected with viruses during the seasonal changes, as most virusesadenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza virus, and even coronavirusbecome active during these times and winter.

But this does not mean respiratory viruses do not spread at other times.

People are getting continuously infected with respiratory viruses in other seasons as well. Those with weak immunity could become more severely affected by the infection, said Dr Raju Pangeni, a pulmonologist. Besides urging people to take precautions against these risks, authorities must step up surveillance measures to know the real causes of influenza-like illnesses.

As very few people in Nepal receive flu shots. Experts say unvaccinated elderly people and those with compromised immunity are at risk of severe respiratory virus infections.

Doctors say the influenza virus causes respiratory complications, which affect the lungs. It quickly spreads in communities. The diseases can cause fever, cough, body aches, occasional vomiting, diarrhoea and pneumonia.

They say that early diagnosis is crucial for preventing infection. Patients recover quickly if treated on time. Both the severity of the disease and the number of deaths increase if seasonal influenza cases are not diagnosed on time, according to experts.

Excerpt from:

Over 1,000 people infected with swine flu virus since January - The Kathmandu Post

Resources for back yard poultry owners can be in this video produced by the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

The Santa Barbara Public Health Department is closely monitoring an ongoing multistate outbreak of "bird flu" in dairy cows, but the risk to the general public locally remains very low, according to the department.

There have been three human cases of Influenza A-H5N1 (avian influenza) associated with the outbreak in Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas. All three people had direct access to infected cows, and developed symptoms including eye infection and mild upper respiratory symptoms, according to the department.

DPH recommends that county residents avoid interaction with sick or dead animals, including wild birds, poultry, other domesticated birds, and other wild or domesticated animals including cows, if possible. Exposure to animal feces, bedding and drinking raw milk should also be avoided.

The department said the pasteurization process for milk kills the A(H5N1) virus.

Those who have job-related contact with infected or potentially infected birds orother animals should be aware of the risk of exposure to avian influenza viruses and should take proper precautions. The department encourages individuals working with or around potentially infected animals to wear appropriate and recommended personal protective equipment.

Avian influenza in the U.S. is a rapidly changing situation, and public health said the Centers for Disease Control will provide updates on the outbreak and recommended responses on their website, http://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu.

Report any unusual or suspicious numbers of sick or dead domestic birds to theCalifornia Department of Food and Agricultures Sick Bird Hotline at 866-922-2473 or report to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife online at http://www.wildlife.ca.gov.

Read more here:

Threat of bird flu 'very low' in Santa Barbara County, according to DPH - Santa Ynez Valley News