Category: Flu Virus

DHEC stresses need for flu shots during National Influenza Vaccination Week (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

SOUTH CAROLINA (WCIV)

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is urging residents to get their annual flu shot, as National Influenza Vaccination Week is in effect Dec. 4-8.

The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over the age of six months, and is safe for pregnant people and those who wish to become pregnant.

Since the flu virus changes every year, officials say it's important to receive an updated vaccine annually.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said that the influx of flu cases illustrate how crucial it is for South Carolinians to get their updated shots.

Weve seen widespread flu activity across the state over the past several weeks, with an increase in both flu cases and hospitalizations, Bell said. Its critical that South Carolinians make a point to get their flu shots now if they havent already in order to protect themselves and slow the spread of influenza in the community.

DHEC's flu watch page shows 7,229 cases of the flu so far this season.

It is especially important that people get updated vaccines for respiratory illnesses, including the flu and COVID, as we enter the holiday season, Bell said. This is the time when we gather with our friends and families in large groups indoors, which can increase the spread of these viruses. Getting your vaccines and practicing healthy habits will help protect you and your loved ones from the flu and other viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

More information about the flu and vaccines can be found on DHEC's website.

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DHEC stresses need for flu shots during National Influenza Vaccination Week - WTGS

State health officials declared Wednesday that flu is prevalent across New York and ordered health care workers who are not vaccinated against the infectious disease to wear masks.

The declaration, ordered by state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald, impacts health care workers at numerous facilitiesincluding hospitals and nursing homes as well as those at certified home health agencies and diagnostic and treatment centers.

Lab-confirmed influenza cases have been steadily ticking up across the state, with an increase of 34% outside of New York City and 21% in the five boroughs over the previous week as of Nov. 25. This year is relatively mild compared last year, but worse than two years ago. There were more than 27,000 lab-confirmed cases across the state for the week ending Nov. 26, 2022, compared to 4,061 this year. There were 1,137 lab-confirmed cases for a similar week in 2021.

We have now declared that flu is prevalent in New York State, which means health care personnel who are not vaccinated against the flu this season need to take extra precautions and wear a mask in health care facilities, as they are exposed to sick patients and come into close contact with those most vulnerable to the flu, McDonald said in a statement.

Nationally, there have been at least 1.8 million illnesses, 17,000 hospitalizations and 1,100 deaths from the flu this season, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said eight pediatric deaths have been recorded so far this season as a result of the flu.

We are seeing sporadic cases of the flu but I wouldnt call it prevalent here yet, said Dr. Neal Shipley, medical director at Northwell-GoHealth Urgent Care. We are expecting, as the holidays come and people are gathering together and getting on airplanes, that we will see a rise in all of the upper respiratory viruses flu, COVID-19 and RSV.

Shipley said vaccine fatigue and hesitancy might be preventing more people, particularly children and adults,from getting this years flu vaccine, even though its the best way to stave off serious illness from the virus.

The flu virus changes every year and people need to get the vaccine to protect themselves and others, he said.

Shipley said health care workers at Northwell-GoHealth who are not vaccinated against the flu are already required to wear masks as part of the systems own policy.

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.

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Flu 'prevalent' in New York; unvaccinated health workers ordered to wear masks - Newsday

2 December 2023

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this week, UK health officials confirmed a person in North Yorkshire had been infected by a new genetic strain of flu that's similar to one pigs get.

The government agency in charge of protecting public health - the UKHSA - has now shared the full timeline of how events unfolded.

It begins on Thursday 9 November, with a trip to see a GP.

But the person seeking help will have caught it days before that.

It takes about one to four days for symptoms to emerge.

The patient went to their doctor complaining of "typical" flu symptoms, meaning they were probably feeling exhausted, with a temperature, cough and sore throat.

It is still a mystery how they caught it - they have since confirmed that they do not work with pigs or keep any as pets.

During the visit, the GP did a swab test. These are not routine in every surgery - only some practices do them and they are to help the UKHSA monitor population health rather than to diagnose individual patients.

The results help experts keep checks on what diseases are circulating and how well vaccines are doing against them. That sample was sent off and processed in the usual way, which takes about two weeks.

So, it was on the evening of Thursday 23 November - a fortnight after the GP visit - that experts in a UKHSA lab discovered it was a new virus.

Officials are calling it influenza A(H1N2)v rather than swine flu.

It is a type of flu - like the winter illness many people get vaccinated against - but it is a bit different.

Image source, Getty Images

Viruses can jump between species

It is almost identical to one circulating in pigs in the UK at the moment, rather than the type humans normally get.

Pigs can sometimes spread flu viruses to people, but that is rare. It is usually the other way round.

The UKHSA's chief scientific officer, Prof Isabel Oliver, told the media earlier this week: "We do know that occasionally we identify viruses like this one that are present in pigs, so often referred to as swine flu viruses. Occasionally there are cases detected in humans."

There has been one similar but not identical human "swine flu" case in the US this year, and about 50 cases reported globally since 2005.

According to experts, although it could take off in humans, this is unlikely. They are keeping a close watch to see what risk, if any, this latest case may pose to the wider population.

This first and - so far - only UK case was a mild one, although the person's symptoms were nasty enough for them to seek medical help.

They have since made a full recovery, but that fact alone does not really tell us anything about the transmission potential of the virus or the risk to vulnerable groups, says Dr Andrew Catchpole, a virus expert who works for a research organisation called hVIVO.

"Details on the age and the overall health status of the infected person have not been released, so we do not know if this was an otherwise healthy individual whom we would expect to recover from flu without intervention," he said.

As soon as UKHSA got the test results back, it contacted the individual concerned and their close contacts. Fortunately, the person had not been out at any big events, so did not have a vast number of contacts to trace.

These contacts were advised that they could potentially be infectious and should self-isolate pending a negative test result, the UKHSA told BBC News.

However, there is no sign yet that the virus has or will spread easily between people. Typically viruses acquired from pigs do not spread easily from person to person. But the UKHSA says it will continue to investigate.

Dr Will Welfare, UKHSA Incident Director, said: "This is the first time we have detected this virus in humans in the UK. As soon as we get such a result, we immediately start work with partners to learn everything we can about it. Our investigation is continuing at pace and we will publish further information in due course.

"It's thanks to our routine surveillance and genome sequencing that we have been able to detect this virus, putting us in a stronger position to understand its characteristics and reduce any potential spread."

Virus expert Dr Andrew Catchpole says pigs are a common source of newly emerging flu strains, because they can catch flu viruses from humans and birds which then mix and make new versions.

Generally, however, these are not able to replicate and transmit efficiently in people.

Prof John Edmunds, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, says it is right to be cautious: "Although these events usually result in viruses that struggle to transmit in their new hosts, there is always a danger that they can. These events need to be carefully investigated."

Prof Isabel Oliver said that while there may have been some limited spread between people, that is entirely different to a big outbreak.

"So far this is the only confirmed case. We are working to understand how this person acquired the infection... We have not identified a source of infection but our investigations continue," she said.

In 2009, there was a pandemic in humans caused by an influenza virus commonly referred to as "swine flu".

That was a different virus called influenza A H1N1(pdm09). It contained genetic material from viruses that were circulating in pigs, birds and humans in the 1990s and 2000s.

It is no longer called swine flu and is now one of the many different flu viruses which circulate in people each year. The current annual flu shots that are offered on the NHS protect against it.

The vaccines are not expected to provide much protection against the new virus that has just been found. New vaccines can be made though, if they are ever needed.

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Swine flu: What's next after first confirmed case in UK? - BBC.com

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) The United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is collaborating with Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, or GTRI, on a new research project to design strains of probiotic bacteria that can provide health benefits to stimulate immune recognition of influenza.

Developing more effective methods to combat influenza could reduce impacts on military readiness and training from outbreaks and augment vaccine efforts to increase force health protection capabilities.

The two-year research project will assess if influenza proteins can be added to common bacteria found in the human gut microbiome, which could stimulate a greater immune cell response against the flu virus.

The idea is we can help the body recognize these pathogens, said Richard Agans, senior research biologist at USAFSAM. Instead of treating the symptoms, say with [an over-the-counter decongestant], you might be able to treat it with something like this to aid in the development of an immune response.

The flu can kill as many as 52,000 people and can lead to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations annually. If the project proves successful, it could one day lead to the development of a capsule that can boost the effectiveness of flu vaccines, according to a press release from GTRI.

The ultimate goal of where this could lead is augmentation of vaccine efforts where we can, but a potential alternative where necessary, said Agans. We could potentially design and have a prophylactic [to prevent illness] that might be able to help reduce the severity of cases.

While the results that come out of the research project could eventually lead to treatments that temporarily replace flu vaccines in adverse environments where cold chain supply infrastructure is limited or nonexistent, the study intends to augment and strengthen the bodys resistance to influenza proactively rather than as a replacement for flu vaccines or as a post-infection treatment.

It is likely never going to be a replacement for the flu vaccine, given how vaccines work versus how our bodies handles bacteria, said Agans. I think its very much more of a prophylactic, but its very novel. We just dont know yet.

Initial, exploratory research projects allow scientists and researchers opportunities to interrogate nature and expand knowledge about subjects like additional avenues to fight the flu virus and other respiratory diseases for their own sake. Exploratory research in this and other subjects can lead to significant discoveries that can benefit warfighters and the public at large along with broadening understanding of these subjects.

According to Agans, the idea originated with him and a colleague while at Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton. When he joined USAFSAM, the idea was posited to the Minority Leaders - Research Collaboration Program, or ML-RCP, where researchers at Georgia Tech (Brian Hammer) and GTRI (Mike Farrell) submitted a proposal that fit USAFSAM requirements.

Georgia Tech and GTRI will work with Kennesaw State University graduate student Katrin V. Lancaster and other researchers to develop the proof-of-concept project, according to GTRIs press release.

Working with AFRL and ML-RCP has been excellent, said Lancaster. Dr. Agans, Dr. Farrell and Dr. Hammer have been excellent sources of information and provided great mentorship support for me.

Lancaster interviewed for the research project after submitting her graduate application. Her background and experience working in a commercial DNA laboratory convinced Dr. Hammer that she would be a beneficial to the project.

I was excited when he mentioned that this project was a collaboration with the military, Lancaster said. Both of my parents served in the U.S. military, and it feels good to be participating in a project that aims to advance the health and well-being of military personnel.

The study offers an opportunity to explore a new approach to microbiology and provides an opportunity to collaborate with the federal government, according to Lancaster.

Were treating this as a collaboration, said Agans. Given the ultimate goal of where this could lead, this is why we want to have this as a collaboration rather than a service, to become the foundation for something bigger.

If this approach works with influenza, the combination of probiotic and injection might also be helpful for augmenting vaccines and providing increased protection against other respiratory viruses. Future development may even be expanded to aid in other areas that the DOD is currently pursuing, such as treatments that fortify against excessive fatigue and stress, both of which can adversely affect the bodys immune system and overall performance.

This project is the development of a toolbox that we can apply across the vast range of bacteria to do what we want them to, said Agans. I would see the next steps as integrating that toolbox into other known organisms that are beneficial and seeing if we can increase their benefit with something like this.

The study is still in the early stages as the team conducts initial research, reviews the existing literature and performs bacterial manipulation techniques. Despite the potential challenges, influenza was chosen as the subject of the project because of the number of vaccines that currently exist for the virus, and because it has been studied so thoroughly over the years.

Even though this project will be challenging, I am excited to be a part of it, said Lancaster.

USAFSAM is part of the Air Force Research Laboratorys 711th Human Performance Wing.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit http://www.afresearchlab.com.

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New research study could lead to better flu virus protection for warfighters, public - afmc.af.mil

California has some of the highest rates of flu across the United States

The California Department of Public Health currently listing RSV at a 12.2% positivity rate in California, and the flu at 7.4%.

Updated: 9:08 AM PST Dec 4, 2023

California is one of ten states listed by the CDC as having some of the highest rates of influenza in the country. California, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida are all listed as having the highest rate of respiratory virus across the nation.The California Department of Public Health currently lists RSV at a 12.2% positivity rate in California, and the flu at 7.4%.This is a great time to get vaccinated before we start traveling for the holidays going around the country and seeing our loved ones, said Dr. Vanessa Walker, Chief Medical Executive at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.Dr. Walker explained it only takes about two weeks for protection to set in after receiving the flu vaccine.Medical professionals explain, that this year the vaccine is a great match for the viruses, specifically Influenza A, which is being seen most frequently among the public.If we get vaccinated, if we do a good job, and it really penetrates throughout the community, then we can set ourselves up to have a decent flu season where lots of people are protected, said Dr. Walker.

California is one of ten states listed by the CDC as having some of the highest rates of influenza in the country.

California, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida are all listed as having the highest rate of respiratory virus across the nation.

The California Department of Public Health currently lists RSV at a 12.2% positivity rate in California, and the flu at 7.4%.

This is a great time to get vaccinated before we start traveling for the holidays going around the country and seeing our loved ones, said Dr. Vanessa Walker, Chief Medical Executive at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

Dr. Walker explained it only takes about two weeks for protection to set in after receiving the flu vaccine.

Medical professionals explain, that this year the vaccine is a great match for the viruses, specifically Influenza A, which is being seen most frequently among the public.

If we get vaccinated, if we do a good job, and it really penetrates throughout the community, then we can set ourselves up to have a decent flu season where lots of people are protected, said Dr. Walker.

Read more:

California has some of the highest rates of flu across the United States - KCRA Sacramento

A man in northern England has been infected with a flu virus related to one currently circulating in British pigs yet they had no known contact with these animals.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses similar to those that cause winter flu outbreaks in humans, although human infections with swine influenza viruses are rare. When these do occur, it is usually in people who have had direct contact with infected pigs, such as farm workers.

Transmission typically occurs when an infected pig coughs or sneezes and a human either breathes in some of their respiratory droplets or the droplets land in their mouth or nose.

Three subtypes of influenza A virus have been identified in pigs: N1N1, H1N2 and H3N2. They are different to human influenza viruses with the same names, because they are adapted to pigs' bodies, and infected pigs usually recover within seven to ten days.

The subtype that has been identified in the British patient is H1N2.

The case was detected after the individual went to their doctor complaining of respiratory symptoms. The UK has a routine national surveillance system for respiratory viruses, and if someone visits their doctor complaining of flu-like symptoms, the doctor is encouraged to take a swab from them and send it off for analysis. In this case, the patient was offered a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and the virus was further characterised using genome sequencing, which revealed that it was a swine H1N2 virus.

The patient, who lives in North Yorkshire, experienced a mild illness and has since recovered. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is currently investigating how they acquired the infection and whether there are any further associated cases. Close contacts of the patient are also being followed up. UKHSA says it is monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to increase surveillance within existing programmes.

Human infections with swine influenza viruses do occur sporadically, and since 2005, 50 human cases of H1N2 have reported globally although the latest infection appears to be genetically unrelated to other recent human cases. It is similar to viruses currently circulating in British pigs, though.

The 2009 swine flu pandemic was caused by an influenza a H1N1 virus and is the third known flu pandemic to have been caused by an N1N1 virus the others being the 191820 Spanish flu pandemic, and the 1977 Russian flu pandemic.

The 2009 virus was known as H1N1(pdm09) and is thought to have arisen from a mixture of bird, pig and human viruses that further combined with a different pig H1N1 virus that was circulating in Europe at that time, leading to the term "swine flu". A total of 18,631 deaths were reported among laboratory-confirmed cases although the true number of deaths is likely to have been much higher. The pandemic was declared over in August 2010.

Although this demonstrates the potential for swine influenza viruses to spill over into humans and cause serious illness, the recent infection detected in the UK was caused by a completely different virus, and there is nothing to suggest that it has pandemic potential at the current time.

The H1N1(pdm09) virus still circulates in humans and causes seasonal outbreaks of flu, but it is no longer referred to as swine flu and is distinct from the viruses currently circulating in pigs. To help protect people against severe illness caused by H1N1 influenza, the seasonal flu vaccine usually contains an H1N1(pdm09)-like virus.

This is currently unclear, but the infected man was not particularly unwell and was not admitted to hospital. Also reassuring is that there have been no reports of unexplained respiratory illness in large numbers of people in northern England or in British pigs. However, the fact that the man appears to have had no recent contact with pigs raises the possibility that this virus is circulating more widely, even though there is no evidence of this yet.

The case highlights the importance of routine surveillance for respiratory viruses, and prompt investigation of apparent spillovers of animal viruses to humans. Over the coming days and weeks, scientists will be working to understand more about how this infection occurred and how the genetic make-up of this virus relates to other influenza viruses.

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Everything you need to know about H1N2 swine flu - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Dec 1

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Bottles of vaccine for influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and COVID-19.(Getty Images)

The 2023-2024 winter respiratory virus season is here. And alongside the latest COVID-19 variant and the return of flu season, RSV is once again on the rise around the Bay Area.

RSV which stands for Respiratory Syncytial (pronounced sin-SISH-uhl) Virus usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But in infants, young children and adults over 60, this respiratory virus can attack a weakened immune system to cause severe sickness, leading to hospitalization and even in serious cases death.

People in these age groups and the people who care for them are often warned by their health care providers about the dangers of RSV transmission and offered vaccination against the virus. However, there are a lot of people who may not even know RSV exists, let alone how dangerous it can be to spread it to others accidentally even if getting infected themselves only means mild symptoms.

Keep reading for what to know about RSV testing, how to spot an RSV infection, incubation periods, and whos eligible for the new RSV vaccine.

Jump straight to:

In its weekly report, on Nov. 27, the CDC said that the U.S. is experiencing elevated RSV activity, particularly among young children and that there is currently high overall respiratory illness activity in California.

The WastewaterSCAN project monitors the presence of viruses including RSV, COVID-19 and the flu in wastewater across the U.S. Alexandria Boehm, a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, who helps lead the project, provided KQED with the latest snapshot data on Nov. 30, that found RSV levels are trending up and high, and that all sites in the Bay Area are categorized as in the high wastewater category for the virus. This upward trend indicates that the Bay Area is headed towards the levels we saw last year.

In Santa Clara County, health officials recently warned of a dramatic increase in winter viruses in the countys wastewater and an especially sharp rise in RSV levels, which the countys Deputy Health Officer Dr. Sarah Rudman said had doubled in the month leading up to Thanksgiving.

That worries me, Rudman told KQED on Monday, that especially after this holiday weekend with everyones travel and gathering there, were going to see even higher levels this week.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, said that when it comes to lab testing at his hospital right now, more tests are coming back positive for RSV than for the flu or COVID-19.

At-home testing for RSV isnt available in the way it is for COVID-19. The only places youd typically have access to a formal RSV test are at an urgent care center, the emergency room, or elsewhere in a hospital, Chin-Hong said.

I think in the future itd be great to have a home test for COVID, flu and RSV, he said. But right now, we just have COVID [testing] at home.

Chin-Hong acknowledges the downsides of being unable to access an RSV test outside of these clinical settings. Its good to know so that you dont infect the very young and very old, who can have more serious consequences, he said.

And on that note

RSV, Chin-Hong said, seems like a cold for most people. But that cold infecting somebody under two, or older than 60, can land them in the hospital.

According to the CDC, the symptoms of RSV infection usually appear in stages and not all at once, and can include:

One big exception to this list: In some very young infants with RSV, the CDC said that the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and breathing difficulties.

Wheezing could be the particular symptom that might indicate youve got RSV rather than another respiratory virus, Chin-Hong said although wheezing can still be a symptom of those other viruses, too.

So, if youre unlikely to get access to an RSV test, how can you tell if what feels like a bad cold is actually RSV or the flu? Chin-Hong said there are a few things that might help you tell the difference:

The speed and severity of symptoms

Chin-Hong said the onset of symptoms for the flu will be sudden and severe, with fever and muscle pain. You feel like a garbage truck hits you very suddenly, he said.

Influenza, which, like RSV (and COVID-19), is already spreading throughout the Bay Area this winter, can cause serious problems even in healthy people of any age. Some people are also at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick, including those aged 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant people and children younger than 5 years.

The CDC estimates that last years flu season resulted in as many as 58,000 deaths from flu and up to 650,000 flu hospitalizations. WastewaterSCANs Boehm noted, in her teams latest snapshot, that wastewater levels for influenza are starting to trend up, which suggests influenza infections are starting to rise in our region, and that based on last years records, we fully expect the levels to keep increasing.

If you havent already, consider getting your flu shot as soon as possible. Read more from the CDC about what to do if you get the flu.

If your cold symptoms are more progressive, but youre repeatedly testing negative for COVID-19, seriously consider the possibility that you have RSV.

Or, as Chin-Hong puts it: If you dont feel like your whole body is on fire, and it feels like a cold these days, chances are that its going to be RSV.

The incubation period

RSV has a longer incubation period than COVID-19 or a cold the amount of time between exposure to the virus and getting sick.

Right now, the latest COVID-19 subvariants have an incubation period of three to five days, and a cold will take 24 to 72 hours to incubate after exposure. But RSV has a longer incubation period of four to six days, Chin-Hong said. So, if you know youve been exposed to RSV but havent gotten sick after a few days, unfortunately, its unwise to presume youve escaped infection.

While people infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days, according to the CDC, they can also become contagious a day or two before they start showing signs of illness similar to those infected with COVID-19.

If youre not at higher risk for severe RSV but youre pretty sure youve got it, what now?

Manage your symptoms

The CDC said that antiviral medication is not routinely recommended to fight an RSV infection in contrast to COVID-19, for which the antiviral drug Paxlovid is often prescribed, or for the flu, for which antiviral drugs like Tamiflu can be taken.

Most RSV infections, the agency said, go away on their own in a week or two.

So, if youre an adult whos not at higher risk for severe RSV, the CDC recommends managing fever and pain symptoms with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Its also important to drink fluids to prevent getting dehydrated.

Stay home as much as you can

Remember, the big difference between having just a cold and having RSV is that if you spread RSV, youre potentially endangering infants and older people who are at much higher risk from it. The best thing to do is keep away from others as much as possible while youre sick especially infants and people aged 60 and older. And definitely dont go out if you have a fever, Chin-Hong said thats probably the highest risk.

What if you really cant stay indoors away from others? Then its time to wear a well-fitted face covering like an N95 or KN95 mask, Chin-Hong said. By masking, youll reduce the risks of spreading the virus to those around you.

There are two age groups at the highest risk for severe disease, hospitalization and death from RSV:

Infants and young children

Every year, as many as 80,000 children under 5 years old are hospitalized in the U.S. because of RSV, according to an estimate from the CDC. Children at the greatest risk from RSV include:

Part of the danger of RSV is how it can bring on more severe infections, including:

The CDC said that RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age.

These statistics can seem scary and RSV does undoubtedly pose a threat to many younger children. But for context, the CDC notes that almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday.

If an infant or young child gets infected with RSV, parents and caregivers can always call their providers advice line, added Chin-Hong, who said to watch for red flags, including when a young child is having difficulty feeding or breathing, or is wheezing and lethargic. Infants with quote-unquote colds who have any of those [symptoms] should be brought into the hospital or urgent care or the emergency room for advice, he said.

People age 60 and older

RSV poses a particular risk to older people because of how our immune systems weaken with age. Every year, between 60,000 and 160,000 older adults in the U.S. are hospitalized with RSV, and as many as 10,000 die from it, The CDC estimates.

In addition to causing more severe infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, the virus can also exacerbate existing health conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.

Some younger adults are also at higher risk from RSV. These groups include folks with chronic heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems or certain other underlying medical conditions.

When should older adults or their caregivers seek medical attention due to a potential RSV infection? Chin-Hong said that one of the main concerns for this age group is developing pneumonia, of which a new shortness of breath can be a symptom. Oxygen levels can also be monitored with an at-home pulse oximeter if a persons levels drop below 93%, Chin-Hong said thats a sign to head to the emergency room.

What does hospitalization actually mean for infants and older adults with severe RSV?

Hospitalization often occurs if the patient is having trouble breathing or has become dehydrated and once in the hospital, they may require extra oxygen or fluids given through an IV if they cant eat or drink enough on their own.

A patient might also need to be intubated with a breathing tube inserted through the mouth, and be given mechanical ventilation to help them breathe again. While this sounds scary, hospitalization usually lasts for only a few days in most of these cases, according to the CDC.

In addition to the general benefits of vaccination against the virus, Chin-Hong notes that there isnt any good therapy for RSV currently making a preventative vaccine even more important.

In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first RSV vaccine for older adults, and, several months later, approved another one for pregnant people, as well asa separate preventative antibody treatment for infants.

RSV vaccines for these groups are available through health care providers and pharmacies, with the shots covered partly or fully by most health insurance plans.

Adults age 60 and older

The CDC recommends this group should talk with their health care provider about whether RSV vaccination is right for them. There is no upper age limit for getting an RSV vaccination, which is given as a single shot. Read more about older adults and the RSV vaccine, and about health insurance coverage for this vaccine.

People between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy

Vaccinations for pregnant people are one of two ways that infants can be immunized against RSV in this case, to pass on the benefits to the fetus. The CDC said that a baby born to a mother who got the RSV vaccine at least two weeks before delivery will have protection and in most cases, that baby then wont require a later RSV immunization. Read more about pregnant people and the RSV vaccine, and about health insurance coverage for this maternal vaccine.

Infants

A preventive antibody not a vaccine can also be given directly to a baby after birth if a maternal vaccine isnt an option. This form of immunization is recommended for children younger than 8 months of age during their first RSV season. In some cases, this immunization is extended to children under 24 months of age with certain conditions that place them at increased risk for severe RSV disease, the CDC said. Read more about RSV immunization for infants and young children and about health insurance coverage for this immunization.

KQEDs Sara Hossaini contributed reporting to this story.

Continued here:

Cold, Flu or RSV? How to Tell Which Virus You Might Have, From ... - KQED

Ducks are seen inside a poultry farm in Castelnau-Tursan, France, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - France raised the risk level of bird flu to 'high' from 'moderate' on Tuesday after the detection of new cases of the disease, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus.

The decision, taken by the agriculture ministry, was published in the Official Journal on Tuesday.

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions birds worldwide in recent years. It usually strikes during autumn and winter and has been spreading in many European countries in the past weeks, including Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

France said last week that it had detected a first bird flu outbreak on a farm this season in Brittany, in the northwest of the country.

The "high" risk level implies that all poultry should be kept inside on farms and additional security measures taken to avoid a spread of the disease.

Although the bird flu is harmless in food, its spread is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and a risk of human transmission.

To counter the disease, France launched a vaccination campaign in early October, initially limited to ducks, which can easily transmit the virus without showing symptoms.

Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Gus Trompiz; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Kirsten Donovan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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France puts country on 'high' alert for bird flu - Reuters

Morning omelettes and holiday dinners have become more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations.

Brent Herringtons easy patter never faltered while he transformed a whole lamb carcass into value-added and traditional cuts. Throughout his

Now, reporting inEnvironmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers have developed a method that detects infectious bird flu virus in wetlands frequented by waterfowl.

Wild birds are a significant reservoir of avian influenza virus. While some viral strains dont cause disease, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) form can spread quickly and is often fatal. It spreads from wild birds that shed the pathogen through their feces into the environment, including the wetlands they inhabit.

Detecting bird flu in these waters has been challenging because infectious virus concentrations are often too low to be detected by most methods, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of viral transmission.

To address this problem, Laura Hubbard at the U.S. Geological Survey and colleagues devised a multi-step process to concentrate and identify infectious virus in environmental samples.

They tested their protocols on surface water samples taken twice in the spring of 2022 from four wetlands and a lake in Iowa. The team identified strains of infectious virus in samples from all four wetland sites in April, but not from the lake.

Detection rates were significantly lower, however, when they tested the water samples for viral RNA (11.1 per cent) using standard diagnostic protocols than when the same samples were inoculated into eggs and avian influenza virus was isolated and confirmed (66.7 per cent).

The researchers say these results highlight the need for improved RNA detection techniques to reduce the risk of false negatives.

Sequencing showed that most of the detected viral strains in water samples had low pathogenicity. One sample included HPAI, however, marking the first time this strain has been detected in a U.S. waterway, the researchers say.

Just five weeks later, they did not detect avian influenza virus in any samples from the same sites despite previous research that demonstrated viral persistence for months in similar environments.

The researchers suggest that the apparent absence of virus could be due to many environmental factors, including fewer waterfowl being present in May and substantially warmer water temperatures influencing virus survival.

Although further research is required to better understand the persistence and potential transmissibility of bird flu in wetlands, researchers say the detection of HPAI virus and other strains highlights possible risks to wild and domestic fowl, other animals and even humans, who use these waterways recreationally.

They also suggest that regular monitoring and early detection could help mitigate costly viral transmission and the rising cost of eggs and poultry.

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Testing wetlands for infectious bird flu and finding it - Farmtario

A small group of Republican senators on Friday called on President Biden to ban travel from China to protect against an outbreak of respiratory illnesses in children there, even as scientists and global and American health officials said there were no signs of a threatening new pathogen.

Instead, those experts said, the evidence so far pointed to a surge of age-old infectious agents such as influenza, driven by the colder weather and Chinas emergence from stringent Covid lockdowns. The World Health Organization said last week that China had shared data about its outbreak, including laboratory results from infected children, that did not show any unusual pathogens.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed that assessment on Friday. She said American officials had also been in touch with Chinese authorities, academic experts and health workers.

What we have all been able to ascertain is that there is no novel pathogen, she said. This is all related to upticks of known viruses and bacteria in their pediatric population.

The W.H.O. said that the data China shared last week showed a rise in the number of children hospitalized with cold and flu viruses and respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., since October. The agency also said infections with mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterium that generally causes mild illness, had been climbing since May.

Those illnesses, together with Covid, accounted for a surge of respiratory disease in children, said Chinese health officials, who announced the rise in cases at a news conference in mid-November. Parents there have described waits of eight hours or more at childrens hospitals.

Some of the same pathogens are already on the rise in the United States as winter takes hold, experts said, obviating the threat of imported cases from China.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which sickens millions of Americans every year, tends to cause an increase in infections every three to seven years for reasons that are not well understood.

There isnt a place in the world that doesnt have mycoplasma, that doesnt have rhinovirus and influenza virus, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. They are the normal respiratory viruses and germs that we encounter as we normally grow up.

As countries have lifted Covid lockdowns in recent years, they have tended to experience surges of routine respiratory illnesses in children.

That was true last year in the United States, where an earlier-than-expected wintertime tripledemic of Covid, flu and R.S.V. cases strained hospitals. Before that, Australia, too, suffered an especially bad flu season. Even this years respiratory illness season in the United States started a bit earlier than usual, Dr. Schaffner said.

Scientists attribute those outbreaks to childrens immune systems being behind schedule after years of lost learning about how to fight off everyday viruses during Covid lockdowns. Kept from schools and day care centers, they were sheltered from pathogens that would otherwise have infected them sooner.

Then when they all got together, Dr. Schaffner said, whoo, the viruses had a field day.

Children in China were especially vulnerable because of the length and severity of lockdowns there, scientists said, potentially creating a more substantial post-lockdown boom in routine infections.

Scientists have also reported elevated rates of resistance to mycoplasma pneumoniae antibiotics in China, a problem that could sharpen the severity of outbreaks and that W.H.O. officials said they were trying to learn more about.

A county in Ohio this week reported an extremely high number of pediatric pneumonia cases, including some caused by cold viruses or mycoplasma pneumoniae. But health officials there said they did not believe that a new respiratory disease was responsible or that there was any link with outbreaks abroad.

Dr. Cohen, the C.D.C. director, said that more than 80 percent of emergency rooms across the country make daily reports to health officials. In those reports, she said, we are not seeing anything that is atypical in terms of pneumonia-related emergency department visits.

Ohio has not reported any deaths as part of its pediatric outbreak, Dr. Cohen said, and most children are receiving treatment and recovering at home.

Hospital capacity is fine, children are recovering at home these are pathogens that are known to us, Dr. Cohen said.

Dont fret about whats happening in China, Dr. Schaffner said. But, he said, This afternoon, get yourself vaccinated.

Even if the outbreaks in China do not appear to pose a global threat, scientists said, familiar respiratory illnesses were spreading widely enough in the United States that those eligible should get vaccinated against Covid, the flu and R.S.V.

By mid-November, fewer than four in 10 adults in the United States had received flu vaccines. Uptake of the updated Covid vaccines, too, has been sluggish.

Meanwhile, American and global health officials said they would keep monitoring cases in China, which has faced intense scrutiny after covering up early cases of both the SARS virus in 2003 and Covid.

While China has been more forthcoming about its latest outbreaks than about early Covid cases, Dr. Schaffner said, it could provide more public data about the age of those infected, the cities where illnesses were spreading and the causes of reported cases of severe pneumonia.

Travel bans, though, would not help, Dr. Schaffner said. The W.H.O. has also said travel restrictions were not warranted.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting.

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What to Know About the Respiratory Illness in China - The New York Times