avian flu outbreak

Bird flu outbreak spreads across West African migratory route Right now, the H5N1 bird flu situation remains primarily an animal health issue. "This time we didn't see that virus circulation going down to zero in our wild bird population" over the summer, Hagerman says. The most important mutational changes affect the tissue tropism of the virus its ability to infect a specific part of the body. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses can severely affect domestic animal, wildlife, and sometimes human health.. Outbreaks of Eurasian lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been impacting domestic poultry and wild bird populations in Europe and Asia since August 2020. ", Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak: Watch Out for These Super Spreader Bird Species, US Bird Flu Outbreak Is Killing Millions of Chickens and Turkeys, Resurgence of Bird Flu Avian Influenza Virus Raises Concern With Experts, Twindemic Threat: Ominous Flu Season Paired With COVID What You Need To Know About Vaccination, National Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Plan to Skip Flu Shots for Their Kids During COVID-19 Pandemic, Flu Mutation Study: Universal Flu Vaccine May Be More Challenging Than Expected, Scientists Create Phage Capsid Nanoparticles That Prevent Viral Infection, Your First Battle With Flu Matters Most Heres Why, Divergent Thought Processes: Why Some People Feel Lonely, Even in a Crowded Room, Mysterious Class of Strange Metals Yields Quantum Secrets, Mathematics Behind Wiggly Worm Knots Could Inspire Shapeshifting Robotics, Sticky Situation: Critical Antenna on ESAs Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Fails To Deploy, Just Add Water Stanford Researchers Have Discovered a Simple and Eco-Friendly Way To Make Ammonia, Defying the Eddington Limit: NASA Unveils the Secret Behind Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources, Skincredible: MITs Wearable Patch Revolutionizes Drug Delivery, Scary Barbie: Supermassive Black Hole Tears Apart a Giant Star With Terrifying Energy, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Sara Sawyer, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Emma Worden-Sapper, PhD Student in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Sharon Wu, PhD Student in Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder. They have to remove dead birds, disinfect their facility and bring new birds in thats a several-month process to do that, said Kevin Snekvik, the executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University. The U.S. is enduring an unprecedented poultry health disaster, with a highly . For more details, review our .chakra .wef-12jlgmc{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;font-weight:700;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:hover,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:focus,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);}privacy policy. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. US egg factory roasts alive 5.3m chickens in avian flu cull - then Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change. Avian flu is ravaging farmers and the markets. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Read the original article. But the disease was eradicated in North America that same year, largely because it did not seriously impact wild birds, which made containment through culling poultry relatively easy. In 2015, an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 in the U.S. led to the culling of 50 million poultry birds. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. What you need to know about the avian influenza outbreak Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary on Oct. 5 in Acton, Calif. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has entered Southern California, driven by wild bird migration. April 14, 2023. Comparing the current U.S. virus to the one in Europe, Webby says, "From the outside looking in, they look very similar. This webpage summarizes the current avian influenza (bird flu) situation in humans in the United States. Will the Largest Bird Flu Outbreak in History Lead to a Human Pandemic? People with job-related or recreational exposures to birds or infected mammals should take. There are only a small handful of examples of human-to-human spread. Bird influenza viruses, such as H5N1, use a version called a2,3-linked sialic acid, while human flu viruses use a2,6-linked sialic acid the predominant variant in the human upper respiratory tract. hide caption. Avoid contact with wild or domestic birds that appear ill or have died and call to report sick or dead birds. The virus is highly pathogenic to birds, meaning that infections often cause extreme symptoms, including death. There are ongoing outbreaks of HPAI in wild birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. U.S. experts had been bracing for an outbreak, watching successful strains of the H5N1 influenza virus proliferate in Europe and elsewhere. The worst outbreak of avian influenza on record is threatening to stretch into a second year, as the U.S. races to contain a virus that has already caused some food prices to soar amid a shortage . However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. "I'm hopeful that this is not the new normal for us," Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Studies on the the Ecology of Influenza in Animals, tells NPR. In the U.S. the virus has led to the destruction of millions of commercially raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, and has killed thousands of wild birds.. The spread is much more complex than what we normally predict, Kuchipudi said. A virus is single-minded: It has to replicate, to reproduce, He said. After several weeks without new virus detections, the area is required to test negative in order to be deemed free of infection. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to public health from this outbreak is low. More information about bird flu in humans is available at Bird Flu Virus Infections in Humans. What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in history - NPR newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. This means that the virus is well adapted to them, and these birds do not typically get sick when they are infected with it. The researchers hope their work will bring key players to the table to consider the next steps. It has ravaged farm flocks and chicken yards in 46 states since February, when the first cases were reported in commercial flocks. An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in chicken and turkey flocks has spread across 24 U.S. states since it was first detected in Indiana on Feb. 8, 2022. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Rex/Shutterstock Efforts to halt the spread of this strain of virus have been complicated by its. The first reason that so much attention is being paid to bird flu right now is that currently H5N1 is causing the largest bird pandemic ever recorded. Last week, the US government started testing four new bird-flu vaccines to try and protect the poultry from this mass outbreak, Reuters reported. By October 2022, the disease had resulted in 31 reported wild bird mass mortalities, accounting for an estimated 33,504 wild bird detections in the U.S. and Canada. Most reported bird flu infections in people have happened after unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. USDA has publicly posted the genetic sequences of several of recently detected H5N1 bird flu viruses found in U.S. wild birds and poultry. Experts are concerned that a new global disease outbreak, possibly worse than Covid-19, might begin any day. A key part of the challenge, Webby says, is that like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the avian flu virus has spun off several variants of concern. No, thats not necessary. Avian Flu Spread in the U.S. Worries Poultry Industry - New York Times The virus transmits very, very rapidly within the flock, so even if birds dont appear sick, they will eventually die very soon, Lorenzoni said. ", The long outbreak is discouraging, Hagerman says: "If we look at Europe, we can see that they are on two years of HPAI outbreaks. An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that started in 2021 has become the largest bird flu outbreak in history, both in the U.S. and worldwide. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. And while the risk of the virus spilling over into humans remains low, scientists say communities will feel the consequences of such a serious and lengthy outbreak for months to come. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. In addition, more than 58 million domestic poultry were infected or had to be culled to limit the spread of infection in the U.S. and 7 million in Canada. Both human and bird influenza viruses use receptors called sialic acids that are common on the surfaces of cells. Sporadic human cases of H5N1 reported with H5N1 viruses circulating in birds since 2021 have occurred following exposure to infected poultry. That earlier outbreak also started in the winter but while that ordeal was over by the following June, the current outbreak lasted through the summer and has surged anew. Monthly case counts are available on the. Just one or two mutations could make H5N1 more efficient at infecting humans. Avian bird flu outbreak: What to know about H5N1 symptoms and vaccines CDCand USDA have developed guidance for specific audiences, including the, A handout containing information and guidance for people exposed to birds with bird flu is available at, More information about how to protect yourself against bird flu is. The disease can and does affect humans, but it's rare. "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." Here's what you need to know about the 2022 outbreak in the U.S.: The losses stretch across the U.S., and they're deepest in the country's middle: More than 1 million birds have been killed in each of 11 states that stretch from Utah to the Midwest and on to Delaware, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. Hagerman warns that in a time of inflationary pressure and supply-chain snags, it can be hard to directly link a price hike to the virus. So far, current H5N1 bird flu viruses lack changes seen in the past that have been associated with viruses spreading easily among poultry, infecting people more easily, and causing severe illness in people. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. "When the virus came over into the Americas, it started to interact with the viruses that we have in our wild birds here," picking up different combinations of other genes, Webby says. Six main hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes of bird flu viruses have infected people to cause acute respiratory illness (H3, H5, H6, H7, H9, and H10 viruses). More than 60% of U.S. broiler . Brain Circuits for Locomotion Came Before Scientists Slow Aging by Engineering Longevity in Cells, Brain Circuits for Locomotion Evolved Long Before Appendages and Skeletons, Jellyfish-Like Robots Could One Day Clean Up the World's Oceans, Whales Stop by Gold Coast Bay for Day Spa Fix With Full Body Scrubs, Coastal Species Persist on High Seas on Floating Plastic Debris, X-Ray Analysis Sheds New Light on Prehistoric Predator's Last Meal, Fossils Reveal the Long-Term Relationship Between Feathered Dinosaurs and Feather-Feeding Beetles, Bird Flu Associated With Hundreds of Seal Deaths in New England in 2022, Avian Influenza: How It's Spreading and What to Know About This Outbreak, Vietnam Farmers' Poultry Sales During Outbreaks May Increase Virus Transmission, First Evidence of Fatal Infection of White-Tailed Sea Eagles With Avian Influenza, CCPA/CPRA: Do Not Sell or Share My Information. During past H5N1 bird flu virus outbreaks that have occurred in poultry globally, human infections were rare. But its impact on humans is complicated. Authorities immediately placed workers on the farm under quarantine restrictions. It's possible that wild bird populations will build up an immunity to the virus but Webby warns that it will take months to understand whether that is happening at a meaningful level. Avian flu outbreak in the Gambia threatens birds on East Atlantic To detect AI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees routine testing of flocks done by farmers and carries out federal inspection programs to ensure that eggs and birds are safe and free of virus. Visit CDCs avian influenza (bird flu) information for health professional and laboratorians webpage for the latest guidance. Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. Bird flu is transmitted mainly by wild birds, like these snow geese. The data also reveals a shift from a seasonal to a year-round disease. Speaking about this death to AP, James Wood, the head of the department of veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, said there is no reason to be unduly concerned about human infection with bird flu. "Generally you need two doses of a vaccine and then a length of time to achieve full effectiveness.". "If you have a bird that has a very short feeding window before it's ready for harvest, that can be a lot more challenging because you also need to allow the withdrawal period after the vaccine before the bird is harvested," she adds. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "We don't know exactly what it is about it, but it does seem just to be able to grow and transmit better in wild birds," Webby, who is also a member of the infectious diseases department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, tells NPR. Eggs on a shelf at Pioneer Supermarkets in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday. A University of Maryland (UMD)-led team of researchers tracked the arrival and progression of the deadly bird flu (H5N1) in North America to determine how this outbreak is different from previous ones. Scientists continue to monitor the ongoing global avian influenza outbreak also referred to as bird flu that has killed millions of birds and has now crossed over to some species of mammals. A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda. A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. The presence of the virus in the commercial food chain raises a number of possible trade headaches but so would using a vaccine to fight it. This happens when multiple strains of the virus circulating in the bird population exchange genes to create a new strain of the virus, much as new strains of COVID-19 like omicron and delta have emerged during the ongoing pandemic. Farmers can take steps to make their flock more biosecure, such as preventing birds and their feed from being exposed to wild birds. The dynamics of the spread of avian influenza viruses are very complex. Over the centuries, some of these avian influenza viruses have been passed from birds to humans and other mammalian species, although this is a relatively rare event. It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry in the United States. The latest outbreak of avian flu may have also shifted to a year-round disease from a more seasonal disease in previous outbreaks. Among these, H5N1 and H7N9 viruses have caused the majority of infections in people. The worst bird-flu outbreak in US history is 'wiping out everything in Human infections with bird flu viruses have most often occurred after close or lengthy unprotected contact (i.e., not wearing gloves or respiratory protection or eye protection) with infected birds or places that sick birds or their saliva, mucous and feces have touched. As these birds migrate, crisscrossing continents and oceans, they can carry the virus with them. Why unprecedented bird flu outbreaks sweeping the world are - Nature Entire flocks, which can top a million birds at egg-laying chicken farms, are also culled to control the spread of the disease after a bird tests positive. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. The virus has hit many turkey farms but because those operations tend to be smaller and the cases have been spread out over time and space, producers have mostly been able to absorb the losses, building up stocks of frozen turkey ahead of the end-of-year holidays. Scientists who monitor wild bird flocks have also detected a reassortant virus that contains genes from both the Eurasian H5 and low pathogenic North American viruses. Avian influenza can spread quickly and appears to be almost 100% fatal for some species. Total case counts for all human infections with H5N1 viruses reported since 1997 are. The primary natural hosts and reservoir of AI viruses are wild waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. "It takes fewer egg-laying operations being affected by HPAI to drive up the price of eggs and egg products," she adds, especially since the majority of U.S. production goes to the domestic market. Farmers struggled to keep the disease and wild birds out of their barns after increasing security and cleaning measures following the 2015 outbreak.
David Russell Obituary, Articles A