Category: Flu Virus

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) bird flu virus that has already killed hundreds of millions of birds around the world is spreading across the US. Worse, the bird flu is spreading at a time when the 2024 US Presidential Election is not far away and the Joe Biden administration is reportedly not fully prepared to tackle the menace. Will the incumbent and the Democrats hopeful pay a hefty price at the hustings if the disease becomes another pandemic after Covid-19?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The news of spread of the avian flu has come at a time when Donald Trump has been shown losing his grip over voters in the poll surveys. The advantage that Joe Biden has got may be wiped out immediately if the bird flu spreads.

ADVERTISEMENT

Which US states have witnessed the spread of avian flu? The bird influenza has also spread to dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan, and Idaho.

(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

Original post:

Will avian flu become another pandemic and Joe Biden pay price for its spread in 2024 Presidential Electio - The Economic Times

Betsy McCaughey

Opinion

By Betsy McCaughey

Published April 9, 2024, 6:34 p.m. ET

Researchers wearing protective suits collect samples of wildlife, where the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected, at Chilean Antarctic Territory, Antarctica. via REUTERS

The H5N1 virus which for 30 years affected mostly birds is rapidly evolving and spreading globally.

The Biden administration is dangerously unready.

Over the last two years, H5N1 has jumped from birds to mammals, sickening some 30 species.

South American scientists publishing in the prestigious journal Nature report massive sea lion die-offs and warn about mutations of concern potentially evolving into the next global pandemic.

Here in the United States, dairy cows, never before vulnerable to bird flu, are infected in six states.

Is the public in danger?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk is lowbut is advising states to be ready with rapid tests.

In the United States,only two human cases have been reported. Neither person died.

But nearly 1,000 people in other parts of the world have contracted the virus almost always from touching a sick or dead bird or bird feces. Half died.

Some food-safety experts caution against eating runny egg yolks, cheeses made with raw milk and foods made with uncooked eggs.

There are too many unknowns to predict whether H5N1 will kill people here.

It seems unlikely, but better to be prepared.

Heres what needs to change:

Like H5N1, COVID-19 was full of unknowns.

The federal governments biggest mistake was to aim for an illusion of consensus rather than welcoming debate.

The feds silenced anyone, including scientists, who disagreed.

The result was a long string of deadly mistakes, from shuttering businesses to mandatory masking to school closures.

Stanford health professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and former Harvard medical professor Martin Kulldorff coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020 showing that protecting the elderly and vulnerable, rather than shutting down the entire nation, would save more lives.

Within hours, federal bigwigs Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci launched a smear campaign to label Bhattacharya and his fellow signers fringe epidemiologists.

Worse, the CDC and Department of Homeland Security conspired with major social-media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter (now X) to keep the public from hearing from the governments critics.

Censored scientists sued. The case, Murthy v. Missouri, is before the US Supreme Court.

The Biden administration is taking the wrong side, claiming censorship protects the nation from disinformation.

Thats a sign the administration cant be trusted to tell us the truth during the next health scare.

When COVID-19 struck, the United States was caught short of masks, respirators and other hospital gear.

One-third of Americas imported medical supplies for COVID came from China.

In early 2020, the Chinese Communist Party nationalized medical supplies, cutting off exports.

US shortages continue even now.

On Nov. 27, 2023, Biden called for assessments of the nations domestic production capacity.

Sorry, too late for more reports.

Time to act.

During COVID-19, state Legislatures like sheep ceded their authority to governors, allowing them to shutter schools, churches, businesses and recreational facilities.

Fortunately, some states eventually came to their senses, including New York, and undid those grants of authority or time-limited them.

Biden and the left-wing media were highly critical of these states a sure sign more states need to curb emergency health powers before the next health crisis.

Not even four months ago, when public-health authorities were already tracking H5N1s arrival in the United States, the National Institutes of Health awarded funding for a project Virus Hunters tasking New York City high schoolers with collecting bird feces from public parks to map the spread of avian influenza.

Students will wear face masks and gloves and collect the bird poop with cotton swabs.

What could go wrong?

Students could contract the virus by touching bird excrement and then their own eyes, nose or mouth, cautions Brown University infectious-disease expert Leonard Mermel.

Trust this government with your life?

Ridiculous.

To prepare for a pandemic, start by curbing governments power over your decisions.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths.

Twitter: @Betsy_McCaughey

Load more...

https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/opinion/as-bird-flu-spreads-the-biden-admin-remains-dangerously-unprepared-for-another-pandemic/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

Read the original here:

As bird flu spreads, the Biden admin remains dangerously unprepared for another pandemic - New York Post

The flu can be spread by faecal-oral routes, and so its not an impossible scenario that chickens who are infected with H5N1 are shedding live virus through faces, which the cattle then consume, and so it is a potential mechanism of transmission, although there are other explanations, said Dr Brian Ferguson, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Cambridge.

The BSE scandal showed us the reality of what happens when biosecurity is not a priority, and showed us that it really does need to be prioritised which is not always the case, because of the economics involved, he added.

Despite large-scale culling in poultry flocks during outbreaks to limit spread, it seems a similar approach will not be taken for cattle.

The CDC has advised farmers with affected herds to dispose of milk produced by infected cattle, although it is thought that the pasteurisation process also destroys the virus meaning the risk to humans consuming animal products remains low.

At present, the WHO has said the risk to humans is considered low, but that surveillance efforts must be kept up.

There were 12 of H5N1 cases globally in 2023, and a similar pace so far in 2024. Since it emerged in 1996, there have been over 800 cases globally.

So you get a sense that theres nothing unprecedented about the number of human cases were seeing but we have to watch the virus. We have to watch the epidemiology, to see if its changing in some way, said Dr Mott.

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security

See the rest here:

Ground-up chicken waste fed to cattle may be behind bird flu outbreak in US cows - The Telegraph

Last week, a Texas dairy farm worker who had exposure to dairy cattle was confirmed to have tested positive for a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza also referred to as A(H5N1). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is the second-ever instance of H5N1 reported in the United States, although it is the first contracted from cattle. The previous case, which was reported in 2022, was of a Colorado inmate at a state correctional facility who was infected after processing infected birds while he was participating in a work program at a poultry farm.

The Texas patient suffered only mild symptoms eye redness consistent with conjunctivitis and is being treated with antiviral medication while in isolation. This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection.

Avian influenza has officially been confirmed in the states of Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Texas. And goats in Minnesota have also tested positive.

And while there is no indication of person-to-person spread or that anyone has contracted the diseases by way of milk, meat, or eggs theres an understandable concern among U.S. citizens about how to stay safe. Heres everything you need to know about the current avian influenza outbreak.

Bird flu is caused by an influenza virus that affects birds both wild and domestic. The viruses are categorized as avian influenza A viruses and there are two main types, according to the CDC: Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

The former, which is more common, causes either no signs of disease or mild disease in chickens/poultry (such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production). But it can potentially mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, given the right conditions. In contrast, the latter, is responsible for severe diseases and high mortality in poultry.

Its uncommon for avian influenza to infect humans, but it happens. Illness in humans from bird flu virus infections have ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death, per the CDC.

Humans contract the disease when the virus is inhaled or gets into a persons eyes, nose, or mouth. Human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred most often after unprotected contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with bird flu viruses, the CDC says. This can happen when virus is in the air (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or possibly when a person touches something that has virus on it then touches their mouth, eyes or nose.

Symptoms include upper respiratory issues (such as cough, sore throat, or a stuffy nose), pneumonia, eye redness, headaches, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea, seizures, vomiting, and shortness of breath. If you experience any of the above in relation to potential H5N1 exposure, call your primary care physician in addition to your state or local health agency. You should be treated with antiviral medication.

The majority of avian influenza cases in humans are typically contracted through birds, and human-to-human transmission is incredibly rare. But it has happened in the past and is not unheard of. So its important to take precautions if you think youve been exposed.

The Food and Drug Administration recently stated that it does not currently have concerns about pasteurized milk and cheese, given that the pasteurization process destroys pathogens through the heating of milk. Beyond that, milk from infected cows has either been diverted or destroyed so you can feel safe in the assurance that none of the milk on supermarket shelves is contaminated.

As for raw or unpasteurized milk, there are still a lot of unknowns regarding transmission, but Because of the limited information available about the possible transmission of HPAI A (H5N1) viruses in raw milk, the FDA recommends that industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk cheese products made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses.

Cal-Maine Foods, the largest supplier of eggs in the United States, had chickens that tested positive for H5N1. Does that mean that we should all be worrying? No but its best to be cautious. Infected hens will likely lay contaminated eggs, and because most eggs sold in cartons arent pasteurized, its important to cook your omelets all the way through in accordance with U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service time-temperature guidelines. Dough and other food items that may contain raw eggs should be avoided at this time. It should also be noted that there are strict industry controls in place that aim to prevent infected eggs from making their way to the U.S. market.

In terms of meat, the USDA remains confident that the meat supply is safe. Just make sure to use standard precautionary measures when handling raw products: Wash your hands frequently, dont leave cooked food at room temperature for longer than two hours, and use a food thermometer.

Avian influenza typically affects wild birds such as ducks, geese, chicken, and turkeys. Commercial poultry are also vulnerable. But its important to note that not only wild or barnyard animals are susceptible. Backyard flocks, as well as pet birds that may come in contact with infected wildfowl, could contract the disease. As for cats and dogs, they could get bird flu if they consume or are around sick animals.

If your domestic animals go outside and could potentially eat or be exposed to sick or dead birds infected with bird flu viruses, or an environment contaminated with bird flu virus, they could become infected with bird flu, the CDC said in a statement. While its unlikely that you would get sick with bird flu through direct contact with your infected pet, it is possible. For example, in 2016, the spread of bird flu from a cat to a person was reported in NYC.

tianyu wu / Getty Images

Pet birds, like any other pet you may have, should be moved indoors and kept away from potential exposure to wild birds or rodents. If your pet bird shows symptoms of avian flu such as diarrhea, reduced egg count, lack of coordination, or nasal discharge you should monitor your own health and watch out for signs of infection. And if you find a dead bird elsewhere, get in touch with your state wildlife agency, state veterinary diagnostic lab, or state health department. As for backyard flocks, the American Veterinary Medical Association has these guidelines, which are simple enough to follow.

More here:

How to Stay Safe in the Middle of the Avian Flu Outbreak - Food & Wine

Spanish Influenza was a widespread pandemic from 1918 to 1919. The highly infectious and fatal virus took millions of lives across the globe. Its death toll was enhanced by modern transportation but mitigated by modern medicine. Also known as the Spanish Flu, responses to this outbreak drew on centuries of public health measures. Analyzing its impacts unearths an infectious question: Was Spanish Influenza the first modern or global pandemic?

Over the course of two years, Spanish Influenza infected roughly 500 million people, one-third of the global population. Death toll estimates vary from twenty-one to one hundred million, with modern scholarship proposing a total greater than fifty million. At the time, many people lived in densely populated, unclean environments, especially the militaries fighting the First World War. Doctors often accompanied the armies, creating shortages of medical professionals on the homefront.

Spanish Flu was caused by a type A form of the H1N1 virus. Influenza types A and B cause annual flu epidemics, but type A is the only variety to spur global contagions. Flu viruses undergo frequent mutations, which are slight enough that immunity from past infections will provide protection. But roughly every forty years, a significant change in the viruss makeup ignites a pandemic. Major influenza outbreaks have occurred since at least 1500, perhaps much earlier.

Aquatic birds are carriers of influenza A viruses and may be the source of their presence in humans. Spanish Flu is theorized to have begun in birds before transmitting to mammals. This could have occurred through mutation or from pigs. Pig cells have receptors vulnerable to both bird and human flu viruses. Respiratory disease in American pig herds coincided with Spanish Influenza but could just as likely have been passed to pigs by humans.

Spain was neutral during World War I and did not have strict controls on its press as wartime nations did. These belligerent countries suppressed reports of the outbreak, not wishing to alert their adversaries to their losses. Spanish publications documented cases freely, so other countries called the disease Spanish Influenza, or Spanish Flu.

There are several theories on the origin point of Spanish Influenza. The speed of transmission pushed the limits of contemporary transit to the extent that some suggest the virus arose as early as 1916, spreading quietly and gradually. Outbreaks at two British Army camps in France in 1916 and 1917 exhibited comparable symptoms and rates of infection and death. Influenza outbreaks in China in early 1918 have also been proposed as the source.

The United States had one of the first recorded cases at Fort Riley, Kansas on March 11, 1918. Unlike suggestions of an earlier patient zero, transmission can be traced from this individual across the globe. The cramped nature of the military outpost caused the disease to spread rapidly. In a short time, additional cases struck military personnel on both coasts. Initially, the American public had little exposure to the virus, and the military largely ignored its spread, which was overshadowed by the war effort. Spanish Influenza fizzled out in the United States in May 1918, but by August, it returned after planting its roots virtually everywhere else.

Spanish Influenza killed 100,000 soldiers, but whether it affected the outcome of the war is debatable. Naval blockades and unrestricted submarine warfare threatened and substantially reduced commercial shipping and oceanic travel during the conflict. The end of the war brought a hasty return of troops, often welcomed back to their homes with celebratory events.

Mechanized transportation and the growing interconnectedness of the world allowed the virus to traverse rapidly across great distances. The flu struck India and North Africa by May, China by June, and Australia by July. A second, more fatal wave of the virus began in August, transmitting to the rest of Africa, Central and South America, and Europe. In December, countries began to recover and loosen restrictions before a third wave hit, ending for most in May 1919 and dissipating almost completely in 1920.

With most flu viruses, young children and the elderly are the most susceptible, but Spanish Flu was also extremely dangerous to healthy adults. In a reversal of course from every other influenza virus, half of all fatalities were from those aged 20-40, and 99% of victims were less than sixty-five years old. The death rate of 2.5% far exceeded the 0.1% of most influenza viruses.

Symptoms included a high fever, fatigue, dry cough, aches, and chills. Red spots formed on the cheeks before a blue hue took over ones face from lack of oxygen. The disease ravaged the patients respiratory tract within hours. In time, the lungs filled with fluid, in which victims drowned. It was not uncommon for victims to perish the same day symptoms appeared. Complications such as pneumonia often killed patients if the virus did not claim their lives first.

Medicine in 1918 was closer to modern practices than to the pre-industrial era. Notions of health, sanitation, and disease prevention were relatively adequate. However, no viral test could detect the Spanish Flu, and there were no effective medicines to treat infection. Medical professionals used technology such as X-rays and basic diagnostic methods to identify infection.

Drug manufacturers attempted to create a vaccine but were far off from a successful product. The first step, isolating the virus, may have been completed by scientists in Japan and Tunisia, but they could not preserve the specimen. Blood transfusions from recovering patients showed promise in treating the illness and saw experimental administration in flu epidemics since, although their effectiveness is unclear.

Easing symptoms proved to be the most reliable and accessible means of treatment. Nurses, mostly women with little to no previous experience, provided active care in medical facilities and in the community. The nursing profession expanded during the First World War, and their continued service for the pandemic proved essential.

Governments mobilized to initiate measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus and its effects. Responses varied at the national, regional, and local levels. Municipalities prohibited public functions, sometimes even extending the bans to schools and churches. Law enforcement officers were empowered to fine people for spitting or to arrest people for sneezing or coughing outside.

Public health organizations issued guidance and dictated policy. War news and propaganda made citizens accustomed to reading informational posters and newspapers. The Red Cross campaigned for every person to wear a mask in public. Individuals donned face coverings of varying styles and efficacy to guard against airborne contagion, although many resisted recommendations and mandates.

The Plague of Justinian spread across trading routes as far as Western Europe, Britain, Africa, and Central Asia from 541 to 590. Estimates state it wiped out 40% of the Byzantine Empires population, or 25 to 100 million worldwide. Citizens of Constantinople ran out of room to bury bodies, so they placed the dead in guard towers, covering corpses in quicklime to hasten decay.

The Black Death, the most notorious historical pandemic, claimed 100 to 150 million lives. The plague originated in China in 1334, traveling along the Silk Road to reach Europe by 1347. By 1352, it spread to Russia and the Middle East. Those fearing the Bubonic Plague practiced self-quarantine and avoided public gatherings, as no treatments were effective against the contagion. The Black Death affected localities differently, sometimes sparing sparsely settled agrarian regions while killing fifty to sixty percent of a citys population. Ports barred entry to ships, and militaries closed off roadways. Despite the high death tolls, the absence of contact with the Western Hemisphere bars them from being considered global pandemics.

An influenza pandemic in 1557 spread across Asia, turning west to Constantinople and Europe. Its presence may have been recorded in Central America, presumably ferried aboard Spanish ships. The flu ravaged the entirety of Spain almost simultaneously, making transmission plausible, but documentation of its presence in Spains colonies is lacking. Another outbreak in 1580 is more widely accepted to have spread across the entire known world. Slow transportation methods still hindered the transmission of these influenza contagions.

Cholera is a bacterial illness that inhabits the digestive system, contributing to an expulsion of fluids that causes dehydration and death. Seven distinct cholera pandemics have transpired since 1817. The disease spread first from India to neighboring regions, then to other continents and the Americas. As with the Black Death, official quarantines were imposed upon visitors from areas with known cholera infections.

The seventh iteration continues today in the Pacific, Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa. Cholera receives comparatively less attention than other infectious diseases, although it continues to take 21,000 to 143,000 lives each year. The bacteria cannot be eliminated because they thrive in water sources, but illness can be prevented with access to clean water and sanitation. As the first outbreak to spread to every inhabited continent in recent history, it is fair to call cholera the first modern global pandemic.

Worldwide populations that were still reeling from historys deadliest war to that point were punished by historys second deadliest pandemic. Most communities experienced the illness as a time of rapid death and panic, which mercifully ended within a short time. The Great War contributed to developments in transportation and mobilization, which spread the disease, as well as media and medicine, by which officials could attempt to contain and treat it.

Death rates dropped dramatically throughout the next decade as people gained immunity from past infections. The H1N1 family continued to circulate until 1957, when it was replaced by H2N2, reemerging in 1977 and continuing to the present. Spanish Influenza may not be the first global or the first modern pandemic, but it served as a period of coordinated action across society that continues to mold public health and pandemic response to this day.

Follow this link:

Was the Spanish Influenza the First Global Pandemic in the Modern Era? - The Collector

The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant afterbird fluwas found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer County, Texas.

The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southwest of Amarillo and about 370 miles (595 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine said it sells most of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response, the statement said.

Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers, the statement said.

The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.

Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat,according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day afterstate health officials saida person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low. The human case in Texas marks the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said.

In Michigan, Michigan State Universitys Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected bird flu in a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, according to the Michigans Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The county is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

The department said it received confirmation of the disease Monday from the lab and that it is the fourth time since 2022 that the disease was detected at a commercial facility in Michigan.

Department spokesperson Jennifer Holton said Tuesday that state law prohibits the department from disclosing the type of poultry at the facility. The facility has been placed under quarantine and the department does not anticipate any disruptions to supply chains across the state, Holton said.

Dairy cows in Texas and Kansaswere reportedto be infected with bird flu last week and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas. A dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the detection of bird flu in them, according to a Tuesday press release from the USDA.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Continue reading here:

The largest fresh egg producer in the U.S. has found bird flu in chickens at a Texas plant - NBC News

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribunes daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

A person in Texas became ill with bird flu after contact with infected dairy cattle, state officials reported Monday.

Its the first human case of the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in Texas, and its the second recorded in the U.S., according to the health alert state officials issued.

The risk to the general public is believed to be low; however, people with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) have a higher risk of infection, the alert said.

The patients primary symptom was conjunctivitis, or eye redness, according to the alert.

State officials recommend that clinicians should consider the possibility of infection in people who have symptoms and a potential risk for exposure, including those who have had close contact with someone infected, contact with affected animals, or contact with unpasteurized milk from dairy farms with infections.

Symptoms can include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, eye redness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or seizures. The illness can range from mild to severe, and health care providers who come across someone who may have the virus should immediately consult their local health department, according to the alert.

Because eye redness has been observed in these infections before, health care providers like optometrists and ophthalmologists should be aware of the potential of individuals presenting with conjunctivitis who have had exposure to affected animals, according to the alert.

The strain, novel avian influenza A(H5N1), started infecting dairy cattle in the Panhandle last week, in another blow to the Texas cattle industry after thousands were lost in historic Texas wildfires. Similar outbreaks were reported at dairies in Kansas and New Mexico.

Lauren Ancel Meyers, professor and director of the Center for Pandemic Decision Science at the University of Texas at Austin, said there is a lot of uncertainty at this point.

"On the positive side, it seems like this was a very mild case and it's the only case that's been identified so far," Meyers said. "But at the same time, it seems like there's quite a bit of this virus that has been detected in cattle populations. Anytime a virus jumps into a new species, especially a rapidly evolving virus like influenza we need to be approaching it with the utmost caution and vigilance to make sure we really understand the situation."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said there is no safety concern to the commercial milk supply. Consumer health is also not at risk, the department said. The milk from impacted animals is being dumped or destroyed and will not enter the food supply.

Neelam Bohra is a 2023-24 New York Times disability reporting fellow, based at The Texas Tribune through a partnership with The New York Times and the National Center on Disability and Journalism, which is based at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

Disclosure: The New York Times has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

We cant wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

See the original post:

First human case of bird flu in Texas detected after contact with infected dairy cattle - The Texas Tribune

A person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu after close contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected, health officials said Apr. 1.

The persons only symptom is eye inflammation, and they are being treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Texas health officials said. The risk to the public remains low, they added.

This is the second person in the United States to test positive for H5N1 bird flu, and the first case linked to exposure to cattle, federal health officials said.

A previous human case of bird flu occurred in Colorado in 2022, in a person who had contact with infected poultry.

There is no evidence of person-to-person spread of the virus, Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told AP News.

Genetic tests carried out by the CDC on samples from the patient in Texas and infected cattle show that the virus lacks changes that would make it better able to infect mammals. There is also no sign that the virus has developed resistance to antiviral treatments, the CDC said.

The tests also suggest that the infection in the patient involves the eyes, but perhaps not the upper respiratory tract.

In late March, dairy cows in Kansas and Texas tested positive for bird flu. Since then, the outbreak has spread to additional herds in New Mexico and Ohio.

Federal agriculture officials emphasized that the food supply remains safe. Milk from sick cows is diverted or destroyed, and pasteurization kills any viruses or bacteria in milk.

Bird flu is a disease caused by an influenza virus that mainly infects birds.

These types of viruses, known as avian influenza A viruses, spread naturally among wild aquatic birds such as ducks and geese. From there, they can pass to chickens and other domesticated poultry.

There are two groups of these viruses: low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The second group causes severe disease and high death rates in infected birds. This group includes the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus aka H5N1 bird flu detected in cattle and the patient in Texas.

Certain bird flu viruses can spread to and infect mammals, including seals, bears, foxes, skunks, domestic cats and dogs, and humans.

People who are at risk are those who have direct and prolonged exposure with infected, ill or dead animals, or areas contaminated by infected birds or animals, said Dean Blumberg, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Childrens Hospital.

It is rare for bird flu viruses to spread from an infected person to another person, but it has happened. In these cases, the virus has spread to only a few people, and often within a persons household, where there is prolonged, close contact.

Human-to-human transmission is extraordinarily rare, Blumberg told Healthline, and in fact there is no risk of sustained human-to-human transmission, so this [virus] poses no threat to the general public.

The federal government maintains a stockpile of vaccines, including ones that target H5N1 and H7N9 bird flu viruses. These could be mobilized if there are signs of human-to-human spread of the virus.

However, Blumberg said the chance of that happening right now is low.

It would be concerning if avian influenza evolved to be more easily transmitted among people, since [we have] little to no immunity to this virus, he said. However this has not happened since bird flu was first described almost 150 years ago.

Symptoms of bird flu in people range from mild to severe, and may include:

As of December 2023, 902 people have been infected with avian influenza H5N1 virus worldwide in 23 countries, reports the CDC. More than 50% of people died as a result of their infection.

However, the severity of the cases varied depending upon the genetic characteristics of the virus involved, ranging from causing no symptoms to leading to severe illness and death.

With only one human case in the recent outbreak associated with dairy cattle, it is too soon to know if all cases will be mild like the first one. Health officials are closely watching the situation.

To protect yourself and your pets from bird flu, the CDC recommends:

If you find a dead bird, check with your state health department, state veterinary diagnostic laboratory, or state wildlife agency to find out how to report it.

In addition, for those who work in the [animal] industry and do have contact with potentially infectious animals and environments, full personal protective equipment) should be used including goggles, N95 or equivalent, gown, gloves, hair and boot covers, said Blumberg.

The CDC also recommends that you get a seasonal flu vaccine. This wont protect you from bird flu, but will reduce your risk of getting seasonal flu and bird flu at the same time.

Health officials reported that a person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu after close contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The persons only symptom is eye inflammation. Tests by the CDC suggest that the infection in the patient may only involve the eyes, not the upper respiratory tract.

While bird flu virus is known to spread from wild and domesticated birds to mammals, including people, this is the first case in a person that involves exposure to infected cattle.

View post:

Bird Flu Spreading in the U.S., What to Know Right Now - Healthline

William Brangham:

That's right, Geoff.

This strain of bird flu, called H5N1, has been sickening bird flocks across America for a few years now. Millions have been killed to prevent further spread. Yesterday, the country's biggest egg producer halted productions when chickens at one of its facilities got sick.

But this virus has also been infecting mammals, most recently dairy cows, in five different states. This week, a person in Texas tested positive after working with cattle. He's had mild symptoms and is expected to recover.

For more on this virus, we are joined again by Jennifer Nuzzo. She runs the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health.

Jennifer Nuzzo, so good to have you back on the program.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the head of the CDC, says the risk to humans from this virus is low, they're monitoring it, and there's no reason to worry at this point. Is that where you come down?

Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, Brown University School of Public Health: So I think it's true that the risk to the general public is quite low, and I think it's also important that we continue to monitor this virus to make sure that doesn't change.

The one thing I do quite worry about is the risk to farmworkers, people who would be exposed to the sick animals, because we do know that exposure to sick animals can result in human infection. And we have already seen that now to date in two cases in the United States, the most recent one being in a worker that worked with sick cows.

So I do worry about protecting farmworkers. But for the general public, the risk of contracting this virus is currently low.

Here is the original post:

Growing concerns about bird flu cases in U.S. farm animals and risk to humans - PBS NewsHour

The risk to the general public remains low, but experts are concerned about the possibility of the H5N1 virus evolving and more easily spreading from birds to other mammals. Heres what to know about bird flu, its symptoms and treatment, and its risk to humans and pets.

Read the original:

Bird flu in humans, explained - The Washington Post - The Washington Post