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Avian flu H5N1 discussion - news/case lists links - 2022+

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  • sharon sanders
    replied
    FluTrackers.com
    @FluTrackers
    ·
    8h
    There are so many reports of avian flu in various wild & domestic animals incl. birds, mammals etc. that we can not post all of the incidences.

    It is global spread.

    See our site daily for info & click on Latest Posts. https://flutrackers.com/forum/

    Take care of you.

    2
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    5.3K
    FluTrackers.com
    @FluTrackers
    ·
    8h
    Very important - USDA: Zoom webinar for "Biosecurity on a Budget" from the Defend the Flock program - March 14, 2024, 2:00 PM + many links to helpful information
    https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/national-international-government-ngo-preparation-response/986574-usda-zoom-webinar-for-biosecurity-on-a-budget-from-the-defend-the-flock-program-march-14-2024-2-00-pm…
    3
    3

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  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Avian Influenza Virus Is Adapting to Spread to Marine Mammals

    Findings Raise Concerns About Wildlife Conservation and Ecosystem Health
    • by Kat Kerlin
    • February 28, 2024

    News Elephant seals lie dead on a beach in Argentina following an outbreak of avian influenza in the region. (Maxi Jonas)

    The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

    The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, is the first genomic characterization of H5N1 in marine wildlife on the Atlantic shore of South America.

    For the study, scientists collected brain samples from four sea lions, one fur seal and a tern found dead at the most affected sea lion rookery in Argentina. All tested positive for H5N1.

    Genome sequencing revealed that the virus was nearly identical in each of the samples. The samples shared the same mammal adaptation mutations that were previously detected in a few sea lions in Peru and Chile, and in a human case in Chile. Of note, the scientists found all these mutations also in the tern, the first such finding.

    “This confirms that while the virus may have adapted to marine mammals, it still has the ability to infect birds,” saidfirst author Agustina Rimondi, a virologist from INTA. “It is a multi-species outbreak.” Terns are among the hundreds of thousands of birds recently impacted by avian influenza. (Getty) Sea lions nap alongside cormorants in Argentina. (Getty)

    We know this because the virus sequence in the tern retained all mammal-adaptation mutations. Such mutations suggest a potential for transmission between marine mammals.

    “This virus is still relatively low risk for humans,” said senior author Marcela Uhart, a wildlife veterinarian with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s One Health Institute and director of its Latin America Program within the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Institute. “As long as the virus continues to replicate in mammals, it may make it a higher concern for humans. That’s why it’s so important to conduct surveillance and provide early warning.”

    The journey of H5N1


    Uhart calls clade 2.3.4.4b — the current variant of H5N1 – “this new monster.” It emerged in 2020, while the human world was reeling from a different pandemic, COVID-19. Avian influenza began killing tens of thousands of sea birds in Europe before moving to South Africa. In 2022, it entered the U.S. and Canada, threatening poultry and wild birds. It migrated to Peru and Chile in late 2022.

    Then, almost exactly a year ago, in February 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza entered Argentina for the first time. But it was not until August 2023 — when the virus was first found in sea lions at the tip of South America on the Atlantic coastline of Tierra del Fuego — that the virus unleashed its fatal potential in the region. From there, it moved swiftly northward, with deadly results, first for marine mammals and later for seabirds.

    A recent paper Uhart co-authored showed a large outbreak killed 70% of elephant seal pups born in the 2023 breeding season. Mortality rates reached at least 96% by early November 2023 in the surveyed areas of Península Valdés in Argentina. Dead elephant seals line a beach in Argentina in fall 2023. Avian influenza has caused the catastrophic die-off of thousands of elephant seals in Argentina, raising concerns for wildlife and cross-species transmission. (Ralph Vanstreels/UC Davis)

    “When it first came to Argentina, we didn’t know if it would affect elephant seals,” Uhart said. “We never imagined the magnitude of what was to come.”

    Since 2022, H5N1 in South America has killed at least 600,000 wild birds and 50,000 mammals, including elephant seals and sea lions in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and thousands of albatrosses in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands.


    Moving south


    The virus is now heading southward from South America, and scientists are deeply concerned about its potential impact on penguins and other wildlife in Antarctica.

    Uhart and Ralph Vanstreels, her colleague at UC Davis’ Latin America Program in the School of Veterinary Medicine, are conducting wildlife surveillance for H5N1 in Antarctica this month.

    “We need to keep an eye on the ability of this virus to reach species that have never been exposed to an H5N1 infection before,” Rimondi said. “The consequences in those species can be very severe.”

    The concept of One Health honors the interconnectivity among humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. Interspecies disease outbreaks are unsettling examples of such connections and require global collaboration among public, wildlife, agricultural, health and other sectors.

    “We are trying to be at the forefront of documenting, recording and providing early warning,” Uhart said. “We’ve been in this area for 30 years. We know these species. We work with scientists who have 30 years of data on these populations, so we can know what will be important for the future. We have to give voice to these poor creatures. Nobody’s taking note of how big this is.”


    Avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, finds a study from UC Davis and partners in Argentina.

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  • Pathfinder
    replied
    WCS NEWS RELEASE

    Urgent Message from WCS as the Avian Influenza Virus Threatens Wildlife Across the Globe

    Massive Die-Off of Elephant Seals in Argentina Due to Avian Influenza Is Latest Sign that the Virus Is an Existential Threat to Wildlife

    NEW YORK , NY | JANUARY 15, 2024

    New York, January 15, 2024 – The Wildlife Conservation Society is issuing the following statement about H5N1 Avian Influenza due to ongoing wildlife die-offs across the world:

    Said Dr. Chris Walzer, WCS Executive Director of Health:

    “With the frightening die-off of animals across the globe due to avian influenza, WCS is calling for governments internationally to treat this growing crisis with the urgency it demands. As we continue to monitor the death of innumerable species and track the movement of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) into mammal populations, we must strengthen the focus on integrating the surveillance of emerging influenza clades in wild birds and mammals to support critical vaccine libraries.

    “H5N1 now presents an existential threat to the world’s biodiversity. It has infected over 150 wild and domestic avian species around the globe as well as a dozens of mammalian species. The bird flu outbreak is the worst globally and also in U.S. history, with hundreds-of-million birds dead since it first turned up in domestic waterfowl in China in 1996. Bird flu is highly transmissible, spread through droplet and feces-borne infections, and exacerbated by climate-change-altering migration schedules for birds and its repeated re-circulation in domestic poultry.

    “Globally, HPAI H5N1 has now infected many mammals—including foxes, pumas, skunks, and both black and brown bears in North America. Some 700 endangered Caspian seals died from HPAI near Dagestan in 2023. Additionally, outbreaks in mink farms in Spain and Finland that serve as potential mixing vessels for reassortment have also been documented. HPAI H5N1 has arrived in Latin America with devastating consequences, afflicting multiple countries that include WCS land- and seascapes in Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Argentina.

    “More than 95 percent of the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pups born along 300 km of the Patagonia coastline died at the end of 2023. It’s the first report of massive elephant seal mortality in the area from any cause in the last half century. The sight of elephant seals found dead or dying along the breeding beaches can only be described as apocalyptic. This 2023 die-off contrasts starkly with the 18,000 pups born and successfully weaned in 2022.

    “As the virus continues to spread through mammal populations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on public health officials to prepare for a potential spillover of H5N1 to people. The "R naught" value—or the number of people infected by a single infected person—for COVID initially ranged from 1.5 to 7. For H5N1 among birds, it is around 100. It is imperative that we take a collaborative One Health approach to identifying emerging strains of bird flu across the globe to support the development of specific and universal vaccines that can quickly treat infection in people to prevent another pandemic.

    “The cost of inaction is already causing major devastation to wildlife. As we work to help affected populations recover, we must remain vigilant against the spread of this deadly pathogen to people before it’s too late.”

    https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releas...DI5NS42MC4wLjA.

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  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Avian flu spreading in Louisiana, wildlife experts report

    Colin Campo
    Houma Courier-Thibodaux Daily Comet
    Published 4:07 a.m. CT Jan. 05, 2024
    ...
    H5N1, a strain of avian influenza, has returned to the state for the second year in a row. It's been carried in by migratory birds and threatens both ducks and domesticated poultry, experts warn. Evidence of the outbreak is anecdotal, based on calls and veterinarian findings, because these numbers aren't tracked well.
    ...
    Last year when the virus arrived, mass die-offs were reported around the state. Researchers like Link were documenting hundreds of dead birds a day for about five days in the beginning of December 2022.
    ...
    This year, there have been no mass die-offs in Louisiana, Woodruff said. While there are no die-offs, Link said, what's odd is that the same group of birds are falling ill again to the exact same strain.

    "Normally it's a different strain, and it kind of goes away… and it doesn't reinfect, so this is the first time that it's ever the same strain that's reinfecting the same flock and this year we're seeing about 20% to 25% adult mortality," he said. "So it seems to be a little bit more serious strain this year than previous years and we don't really quite know why."
    ...
    Researchers divide ducks up into two categories: dabblers and divers. Dabblers are those most commonly hunted, and Link said last year 98% of those found dead were juvenile. This year 75% of them are juvenile and 25% are adults

    This is strange, Link said, because the antibodies from survivors last year would have likely made the birds more resilient this year; however, the percentage of adults dying of the illness has risen.

    The number of factors at play, said Link, is too vast to know exactly why adults are dying off more, but it could be as simple as less food. The drought that has been affecting Louisiana stunted vegetation growth and that means leaner ducks. Less calories could mean a weaker immune system, he said, or it could also be that the birds are tuckered out because they have to fly farther to find more food.

    Leave a comment:


  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Translation Google

    FAO predicts a new bird flu crisis in 2024

    The organization called for collaboration with notification systems to face the impact of the new avian influenza season.

    Dec. 27, 2023, 9:20 PM CST/ Source : The Associated Press

    The Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) called on the countries of the region to maintain a state of alert and collaborate with notification systems to confront better way the impact of the new avian influenza season, which due to its evolution is considered an “unprecedented situation.”

    Within the framework of the III Regional Meeting of Response to the Emergency of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) held this Thursday in Santiago de Chile, the effect of this virus was estimated for 2024, and it is expected that this will be equal to or greater than last year , in which 12.5 million birds died or had to be sacrificed to contain the disease.

    According to FAO analyses, this new migration season of birds traveling from the north of the continent to the south has a high probability of maintaining behavior similar to the last one.

    In the United States, for example, nearly 100 new outbreaks have been recorded in the last 30 days, and in Mexico a recurrence of the H5N1 virus has been recorded in the state of Sonora since last October.

    La Oficina Regional para América Latina y el Caribe de la ONU prevé una nueva crisis de gripe aviar en 2024 y lanzan alertas de salud.

    Leave a comment:


  • sharon sanders
    replied
    The CDC account tweeted this today.


    CDC

    @CDCgov
    ·
    6h
    In rare cases, #BirdFlu can infect people. Learn how to protect yourself from #BirdFlu viruses: https://bit.ly/3JoGozi
    Slide 1 of 3 - Carousel

    42
    20
    35

    43K

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  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Hat tip to Tetano for posting this research:

    Emerg Microbes Infect . The Feather Epithelium Contributes to the Dissemination and Ecology of clade 2.3.4.4b H5 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Viruses in Ducks




    Excerpt:
    ...
    The total number of feathers present in a single bird is poorly known although, on average, it could account for 3-6% of the total adult body weight [36]. In 1937, George Andrew Ammann allegedly counted 25,216 feathers in a swan. Phoebe Knappen reported a total of 11,903 feathers in a female adult duck [37]. In young birds, feather growth is an extremely fast and relatively synchronous process, that can reach up to 4 cm over 10 days in 40-day-old ducks [38]. For this reason, the feather epithelium compartment represents an extremely large surface area and volume in young individuals (Figure 4A). In contrast, adult birds have a higher number of mature feathers that are associated with lower viral detection [32]. However, molting can result in increased proportion of growing feathers in adults. Different periodic and spontaneous molting processes can be observed in wild birds, which can be influenced by photoperiod, nutritional deficiency, migration timing constraints, and global warming [39,40]. Therefore, attention should not only be given to the study of host species but also to host age, breeding practices, plumage molt, and their potential impact on viral dissemination.
    ...
    The quantitative importance of the feather excretion route, compared to the respiratory and digestive shedding routes, still needs to be assessed [33]. Nevertheless, although a definitive conclusion is still premature, the intensity of the viral signal detected in the feather fraction identified in dust samples is remarkable.
    ...
    Active viral shedding occurs along the time course of infection from pre-clinical to clinical phases [4]. However, attention should also be given to the passive post-mortem viral shedding from infected carcasses littering the ground. Stability in detached infected feathers has been demonstrated for both H5 and H7 HPAIVs in experimental conditions [12,15]. In birds, feather loss and disruption take place throughout the decomposition process [45], underlying the importance of rapid disposal of infected carcasses and complete environmental disinfection, considering also the risk of exposing cadaveric fauna (insects, arthropods etc), scavenger birds, and mammals to infectious tegument. Dispersion of feather debris may also occur during transportation of ducks from the farm to the slaughterhouse, during processing, or in live poultry markets, which play a critical role in the epidemiology and evolution dynamics of HPAIVs in many low- and middle-income countries [46].
    ...
    Combining natural and experimental infections, our findings support the environmental shedding and dissemination of H5 HPAIVs through the infected plumage of domestic ducks, which may constitute an underestimated route of transmission. Further investigations are needed to establish the importance of this alternative route compared to the fecal-oral and the respiratory-aerosol routes, and to define its impact in the implementation of biosecurity measures.
    ...​

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  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Experts fear mass wipe-out of penguins as Antarctica braces for bird flu

    Tourists could be ordered to stay on board cruise ships for the first time to prevent cross contamination

    By Harriet Barber
    IN BUENOS AIRES
    25 September 2023 • 1:39pm

    ...
    In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, the head of polar regions for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warned that the infection, which has killed millions of birds across the globe over the past year, will have deadly consequences once it reaches the region.

    “It could be absolutely devastating,” said Dr Jane Rumble, OBE. “We’re saying when, not if.”

    H5N1 is expected to emerge in the coming weeks as birds migrate from South America to breeding sites in the Antarctic.

    The death toll could be exceptionally high, scientists say, as the continent is the breeding ground of more than 100 million birds.

    Dr Tom Hart, a biologist who has been developing guidance on avian flu, said: “I don’t want to put a number on it but it’s extremely serious. Certain groups like seals, terns and penguins are likely to be impacted severely.
    ...
    To combat the risk, tourists visiting Antarctica this season may not be able to disembark from cruise ships if the worst-case scenario arises.

    “They will keep everybody on board or just do Zodiac cruising,” said Dr Rumble. “Tourists might not necessarily have the holiday they expected.”
    ...


    Leave a comment:


  • Pathfinder
    replied

    Related to:

    WOAH - OFFLU report - Southward expansion of avian influenza H5 in wildlife in South America: estimated impact on wildlife populations, and risk of incursion into Antarctica




    Translation Google

    "A disaster for wildlife": avian flu could reach Antarctica, warned an international group of experts

    They are scientists who collaborate in a network with the World Organization for Animal Health. Why the advance of the virus in South America could put emperor penguins and other species at risk

    Aug 31, 2023

    For the past three years, avian influenza infection has advanced by being transmitted mainly among wild birds and poultry . The virus also affected mammals, such as sea lions and mink , and achieved global expansion.

    In October last year it was detected in Colombia and this year in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina in different animal species.

    A report by the Network of Flu Experts of the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA) , which depends on the United Nations, warned that there is a risk that the bird flu virus would reach Antarctica and would cause a disaster with its fauna. It is one of only two continents - along with Australia - that have not yet been affected by the pathogen.

    "The negative impact of this virus on the Antarctic fauna could be immense, probably worse than that of the South American fauna," the report warns.

    The epidemic in birds began in 2020 when a new strain of the virus was detected, which they call “H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b”. That strain circulated in North America and then reached South America via migratory birds.

    Those birds can carry the virus. Sometimes they have no symptoms. In other situations, they can also get sick. If they come into contact with poultry, such as hens or chickens that are together and in large numbers, transmission of the virus can occur. Also if mammals are in contact with infected birds they can get sick from bird flu.

    In Peru and Chile, the deaths of more than 500,000 seabirds and 25,000 sea lions have been recorded , according to the scientists' report.

    Losses accounted for 36% of the population of Peruvian pelicans in Peru and 13% of Humboldt penguins in Chile. In addition, the number of sea lions that died represents 9% of the population of Peru and Chile.

    In Argentina, where a health emergency was declared last February, there were outbreaks in wild and poultry birds. In August, outbreaks began to be confirmed in sea lions that live in colonies along the Atlantic coast , from the coasts of the province of Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego. The last outbreak was confirmed by Senasa last Tuesday in sea lions in the Mayor Buratovich Spa , in the province of Buenos Aires.

    Experts fear for the future of the fauna of Antarctica. More than 100 million birds have young there and on nearby islands. Many marine mammals swim in the surrounding waters. Some of these species, such as the emperor penguin and the Antarctic fur seal, group together in large colonies.

    According to scientist Ralph Vanstreels , a researcher with a Latin American wildlife health program at the University of California, Davis, United States , and co-author of the report, "a very high number of deaths" of animals could occur if the bird flu virus circulates and is transmitted in Antarctica.

    Because some birds routinely fly between South America and Antarctica, they could carry the virus if infected. Others will head to their breeding grounds on the white continent starting in September.

    The negative impact of avian influenza on populations of Antarctic wild birds and mammals "could be immense, both because of their likely susceptibility to mortality from this virus and because of their presence in dense colonies of up to thousands of pinnipeds and hundreds of thousands of birds." , allowing effective transmission of the virus,” the scientists wrote.

    It could affect Emperor penguins and Sandy shearwaters , which are bird species already facing other threats, climate change, the fishing industry, or other human activities.

    It could also disrupt Antarctic fur seal populations: 95% of the population lives around a single island, making it vulnerable to an outbreak.

    The expert group also recommended that people residing in Antarctic bases should take precautions, as should those who work with poultry in other regions of the world. They should clean and disinfect clothing, footwear and field equipment before arriving in Antarctica and between visits to different wildlife areas.

    Wildlife should be observed from a distance for signs of disease (particularly neurological signs) and mortality suggestive of avian influenza before visiting. The visit should be canceled if the presence of influenza is suspected and the relevant authorities notified.

    They should also wear personal protective equipment. Humans can also catch the bird flu virus from close proximity to infected animals. For now, the virus has managed to affect few people in the world, but as warned by the World Health Organization, it could recombine and achieve its transmission between humans.

    https://www.infobae.com/salud/ciencia/2023/08/31/un-desastre-para-la-fauna-la-gripe-aviar-podria-llegar-a-la-antartida-advirtio-un-grupo-internacional-de-expertos/​

    Leave a comment:


  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Translation Google

    In Brittany, gannets with... black eyes

    Survivors of the avian influenza epidemic would be subject to a surprising physiological reaction modifying the color of their iris, according to a scientific hypothesis.

    By Nora Moreau
    August 22 , 2023 at 7:45 a.m.

    With their blue eyes and large colorful wings, they are the pride of Pointe Bretonne , from southern Finistère to Sept-Îles (Côtes-d'Armor), the border between the two departments, where their main French colonies are nestled. It is here that Pascal Provost, curator of this nationally protected site since 1976, which covers 320 ha spread over five main islands, and protects large colonies of seabirds (gannets but also Atlantic puffins, English shearwaters and little penguins or torda penguins), carefully monitors their development.

    All the more so since the hecatomb of 2022 , which saw an epidemic of avian influenza which decimated the most important colonies located in Bass Rock, Scotland, but also those of Sept-Îles (an estimated loss, the year past, in the order of 60 to 85% of breeding birds).

    Sick birds that have recovered

    But an astonishing fact has been observed, both in Scotland and in Brittany: part of the workforce, on the rise and back since last March , now has black eyes. According to a British researcher, it is possible that this change in the iris is linked to H5N1. “The black-eyed madmen would therefore be survivors of the epidemic: birds who were sick and who recovered, slips Pascal Provost. This challenges all ornithologists and the scientific community in general”.

    The curator of Sept-Îles specifies that several field missions have recently been carried out to assess the number of black-eyed boobies – which would be in the order of just over 10% of the colony. "Some birds have been fitted with transmitters and blood samples have also been taken", he explains. A study and a Franco-British publication are therefore underway to understand this unprecedented phenomenon.


    Des survivants à l’épidémie d’influenza aviaire seraient sujets à une surprenante réaction physiologique modifiant la couleur de leur iris,

    Leave a comment:


  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Related to:

    South Korea - Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in cats 2023
    -https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/...1-in-cats-2023


    Poland - Media Reports Of Unusual Cat Deaths - June 21, 2023 - reportedly "influenza", ECDC RIsk Assessment & OFFLU Statement - Food Chain Concerns - H5N1
    -https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/...-concerns-h5n1


    Translation Google


    Possibility of cat group infection in Korea...AI, mammalian transmission is 'mutating' easily

    Jul 29, 2023 10:34 Reply

    ■ Moderator: Anchor Kim Dae-geun, Anchor Um Ji-min
    ■ Starring: Na Woon-seong, Chonnam National University Veterinary College Professor, Department of Virology, Choi Won-seok, Korea University Ansan Hospital Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases

    * The text below may differ from the actual content of the broadcast, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please indicate [YTN News Wide] when quoting.

    [Anchor Lead]
    Cats infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza have been found in Korea. Looking at the test results in other countries, it was confirmed that the virus has mutated so that it can easily spread to mammals. Woon-Sung Na, Professor of Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University. welcome.

    Recently, it was confirmed that two cats in an animal shelter were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, 38 cats living in one space are said to have died. Do you think this is a possible group infection?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    First of all, it has been seven years since a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus occurred in a cat. It happened in Pocheon 7 years ago. This time, two cats at an animal shelter in Seoul were confirmed with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. After that, it came to the point where all 38 animals died. From the 24th of last month, the cat began to show clinical symptoms such as high fever and anorexia. Cats continued to die every day or two. A report has been made to the relevant authorities. Currently, we are starting disease diagnosis and surveillance for animal breeding facilities within 10km of Seoul.

    [Anchor]
    Are you confirming that only two have been confirmed now? So, can it be seen as a group infection?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    We suspect group infection. In fact, the area where the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus occurred 7 years ago is Pocheon. This area is also near the habitat of migratory birds where the avian influenza virus spreads, and there are many poultry farms nearby. However, since it occurred in the middle of downtown Seoul this time, we are currently checking the epidemiological link through which this highly pathogenic influenza virus can enter the city.

    We are currently figuring out how the already infected cat spread in its breeding space and whether it led to mass infection.

    [Anchor]
    You still don't know the exact cause, right?

    [Anchor]
    What are the possibilities? When it comes to avian influenza, I think birds get it, but they say cats get it. Do you have any idea what the situation was like before entering the animal shelter?

    [Na Un-seong]
    It is not easy for mammals to be infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Now that it has occurred in downtown Seoul, it has already entered the shelter after the cat was infected in another space. It is understood that it has spread within this shelter.

    [Anchor]
    Is there a possibility of contacting feces or eating a bird outside?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    Originally, the avian influenza virus is not a respiratory disease in birds, but the virus multiplies in the intestines and digestive organs. That would be possible when the multiplied virus comes out in feces or eats the internal organs of birds.

    [Anchor Lead]
    A little earlier than in Korea, there was a case of avian influenza in a mammal in Poland, and the scale of infection was quite large at that time.

    [Na Woon-seong]
    I made my first report at the veterinary forum in early June. At that time, a lot of respiratory symptoms and neurological symptoms found in cats appeared. So, after testing in 11 samples at the Polish Veterinary Office, 9 cases were confirmed. Afterwards, WHO also conducted a joint investigation, and the H5N1 virus was detected in 27 out of 49 samples.

    [Anchor Lead]
    So, does WHO have any particular concerns about this situation?

    [Na Unseong]
    The reason why WHO paid attention to this issue is that the H5N1 isolated virus at this time is a very common H5N1 type virus that occurred in 67 countries around the world in 2022. However, the reason why this discovery in cats is attracting attention is that it was confirmed that the PB2 protein was mutated in this virus. The mutated protein at 627 has the property of being more proliferative in mammals.

    In addition, in Poland, more attention is paid because it occurred not only in one place but throughout the country, and it was found not only in stray cats but also in domestic cats.

    [Anchor]
    Then, if avian flu doesn't only catch birds, it can transcend species, and it has occurred in all areas of Poland, is there any possibility that it will mutate into other mammals in the future?

    [Na Un-seong]
    If the current mutation continues and more mutations occur, it will be easier to infect mammals. The reason WHO pays more attention is that if the infection continues in these mammals, among them, a host called mixed strain exists among the mammalian hosts.

    [Anchor]
    What is a mixing barrel?

    [Na Un-seong]
    For example, the reason why the pandemic swine flu occurred in 2009 is that the mixed strain of a pig is a new influenza in a state where three influenzas have simultaneous infections: avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza because I put out That's swine flu. The reason why I keep getting the flu vaccine every year is because of the swine flu.

    So, in this way, many infections occur in mammals, and at some point, when the H5N1 goes to the mixed barrel, recombination occurs within it, and a new virus that we have never experienced before can appear.

    [anchor]
    As I listened to the story, since humans are also mammals, I wonder if this means that humans also get highly pathogenic avian influenza. And I'm worried that there will be mutations there again. In this part, we must be connected by phone with Professor Choi Won-seok of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Ansan Hospital. Hello Professor. Professor, let me ask you this first. Can humans be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza?

    [Choi Won-seok]
    Although rare, human infection is possible. H5N1 In the case of this avian influenza, which is now becoming a problem, it was first reported in 1997. The WHO has been counting since 2003. Even if only the cases that have been counted since 2003, about 878 cases are being reported now. In addition, after 2021, there are reports of more than 10 cases of patients.

    The most recent case occurred in Cambodia in February of this year. There is one such case report, which was described by an 11-year-old girl and whose father was also infected. Therefore, it is correct to think that people can be infected, although it is rare.

    [Anchor]
    In the case you just mentioned, a Cambodian girl first got sick and died, and then her father also tested positive. Then, did you figure out whether the transmission was transmitted from the girl to the father or the father was also transmitted from the bird?

    [Choi Won-seok]
    Actually, it's not easy to tell them apart. I've been thinking before that there's no possibility of human-to-human transmission. However, there have been reports of suspected cases of human-to-human transmission in a very limited range, in the case of long-term close contact such as family members. However, in the case of this case, in the case of the father or the girl who died, do not they continue to live in the same environment?

    If so, it seems a little difficult to conclude that this case is a case of human-to-human transmission even if the investigation was conducted among the contacts because there is a possibility of direct exposure to the same algae or contaminated environment.

    [Anchor]
    Then, I'm curious about how people can become infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. Also, some say that it is not easy to spread AI from person to person yet. Please tell me how can I explain this.

    [Choi Won-seok]
    So far, most cases of human infection have been infected animals, especially birds. In the majority of cases, the infection has occurred in people who have had direct contact with birds or have been exposed directly to environments that have been contaminated with their secretions or carcasses. It is still thought that it is difficult to spread easily from person to person. Viruses do not just multiply by themselves, but must enter cells and multiply. It would have to invade human cells.

    In order for human-to-human transmission to be easy, the virus must adhere well to cells in the upper airways and respiratory tract of humans so that they can enter and multiply. However, the ability to bind to receptors that allow viruses to attach to cells in the human upper respiratory tract is still not that good. So, it is possible for the virus to attach and multiply by entering the lower and lower respiratory tract, so there is no possibility of infection in humans, but it is currently difficult to spread easily from person to person. It is believed that such genetic changes are not shown in the H5N1 virus that has been discovered so far.

    However, if this virus acquires a mutation through previous laboratory studies, the ability to easily bind to receptors in human upper respiratory tract cells can be acquired. This has been proven experimentally. So I think you need to be careful.

    [Anchor]
    From what has been confirmed so far, it can be summarized that person-to-person transmission is possible, but not easy. There are animals that have a lot of contact with people. Dogs, cats, pigs and such animals. Is it possible that these animals could be hosts?

    [Choi Won-seok]
    Since cases of occurrence in several animals have already been reported, it is not without possibility. However, rather than saying that domestic animals that are commonly raised at home will be a problem, pigs in particular can play such a role, as you briefly mentioned earlier. It has receptors for avian influenza, animal influenza, and human influenza, so these viruses can all infect. It does not show much toxicity by itself, but there is a possibility that several viruses may be mixed and genetically combined to create new viruses. For this reason, it is necessary to care for and manage animals.

    [Anchor]
    Looking at the external environment, it seems that humans are also in a situation where there is a high possibility of being infected with avian influenza. I wonder what the fatality rate is.

    [Choi Won-seok]
    It is true that the risk is higher than before and caution is needed, but it is not so much that ordinary people are concerned. However, if infected, it is actually difficult to distinguish whether it is avian influenza based on the symptoms. Most respiratory infections have similar symptoms. Respiratory symptoms such as fever or cough may occur. However, since there may be cases where it enters the lower respiratory tract and progresses severely, in such cases, symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain may be accompanied.

    In cases reported so far, the cumulative fatality rate is known to exceed 53%, that is, over 50%, so it can be seen as a virus with a very high fatality rate in humans among many viruses we know.

    [Anchor]
    Professor, if the fatality rate is about 53%, how high is it compared to common colds?

    [Choi Won-seok]
    It's hard to compare it to the common cold. Influenza or Corona 19 viruses, which have recently become a problem, aren't the fatality rates of these viruses less than 1% or 0.1%? Compared to this, it is true that the fatality rate is very high.

    [Anchor Lead]
    Corona 19 was an asymptomatic infection. Is this avian influenza possible asymptomatic infection?

    [Choi Won-seok]
    It is possible. It is known that the influenza virus can cause infection in many forms, from very mild or asymptomatic to severe cases. Also, if you look at the reports of cases that have occurred since 2022, about 5 cases are asymptomatic, that is, there are reports of cases that were discovered while investigating contacts. Even looking at this, I think that mild or asymptomatic infections can also occur.

    [anchor]
    If you listen to the professors all the time today, they say that the avian influenza virus continues to mutate. And I am also curious about what treatments are available in case of current avian influenza infection, and whether there is a vaccine to prevent it.

    [Choi Won-seok]
    Of course, there is a possibility that the avian influenza virus will lead to a pandemic. In fact, it is difficult to predict exactly which virus or pathogen a pandemic will come from in the future. However, what many experts have in common is that it can be transmitted to the respiratory tract, it is an RNA virus, so it is easy to mutate, and it is a zoonotic disease, so it is a good environment for new viruses to pass from animals to humans. there is.

    But the influenza virus fits this condition well. In fact, there is a history of causing pandemics at intervals of 10 to 40 years. That's why you need to pay attention to avian influenza and take a good look at it. However, we do not believe that the avian influenza virus that has caused infection in animals that is now prevalent will cause a pandemic in its form.

    Since it does not yet have the ability to spread easily from person to person, it is called genetic feces because it is mixed with human influenza virus or another animal influenza virus through some mutation. When such a large mutation appears, such a new virus that has the ability to spread easily between people appears, and there is a possibility that this will lead to a pandemic, I think.

    As for the treatment, I think that most of the antiviruses against the influenza virus that are currently being used will be available. In the case of avian influenza that has appeared so far, we are also analyzing whether there are genetic characteristics that are resistant to these antiviral agents, but such characteristics have not been confirmed yet.

    Of course, some of them are reported sporadically when they are prevalent in animals, but we are currently seeing that the existing antiviral drugs can be used as a treatment. I don't know what will happen in the future. In the case of a vaccine, it is difficult to say that it has already been made because it is a new virus that will appear, but since the concern that H5N1 could lead to a pandemic has been around for a very long time, the development of a vaccine against this pathogen has already been in progress in Korea. .

    However, when it leads to a pandemic, rather than using it as it is, I think it is highly likely that it will be slightly modified to match the characteristics of the new virus to complete research or lead to production.

    [anchor]
    All right. I will listen to what the professor has to say. Until now, Choi Won-seok was a professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Ansan Hospital. Thank you professor.

    [Choi Won-seok]
    Thank you.

    [Anchor]
    I'll talk to Professor Na Woon-seong again. If you listen to the word now, it seems that it will still be difficult for people to spread this message, and it will not be easy. I understand with these words. However, as mutations continue to occur, there are also concerns that it may someday be possible for this to spread from person to person. How do you see it?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    In fact, this 2343 clade from this cat has occurred in various countries over the past two years. In the UK, US, Ecuador, and Spain, WHO officially announced that 12 patients had occurred in each country. Four of them were severe, and the other eight were asymptomatic or recovered with mild symptoms. Only the Cambodian gun is a different strain of H5N1.

    It is not a dominant species and is a very minor species that has not spread much. You were very concerned about the 50% mortality rate, but as reported by the CDC, it is Clade 2344, which is not a big threat to public health. This shows a pathogenicity that can go beyond mild or asymptomatic. So, there have been 12 cases of infection so far, and if the mutation continues to persist and spread, it is understood that the opportunity to pass on to humans will increase.

    [anchor]
    This is a worrying situation. First of all, it is a situation where mammalian transmission is occurring. It is said that cats can also be infected, so I think those who have dogs or cats will be worried. What should I be careful about?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    Once you have difficulty breathing, neurological symptoms, or a sudden drop in activity in your companion animal, wear a mask or gloves, handle the animal hygienically, and report it to the relevant agency or call 1339 if you have symptoms. there is. When the symptoms appear, the guardian must report it to 1339.

    [Anchor]
    And how should we take care of companion animals for prevention?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    First of all, since the virus is now at the stage where the virus is passing over to mammals, you need to hygienically manage the feces and contaminated items on your shoes after walking outside and outdoor activities. Pets have many opportunities to come into contact, so you must hygienically manage such contact areas.

    [Anchor]
    So, for example, shoes worn outside the house may have contaminants on them, so don't let dogs or cats touch them.

    [Na Woon-seong]
    In the past, we have been steadily monitoring epidemiology near migratory bird habitats and poultry breeding farms, but now it seems that this kind of surveillance epidemiology will become important even in the middle of the city.

    [anchor]
    Another important thing is what to do so that people don't get caught, isn't this also important? What should I pay attention to?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    First of all, people are highly likely to be infected with the influenza virus if they are active near livestock farming environments or habitats for migratory birds. That's why if you travel a lot in this area or an area where contamination is possible, you must wash your hands with a mask or gloves and hygienically. Basically, the way viruses are transmitted is often hand-to-hand.

    The virus is electrostatically deposited on your hands. If the virus touches the oral mucosa or respiratory mucosa through your hands, you are easily infected, so you must be sure to wash your hands.

    [Anchor]
    Is there anything you would like to suggest to the quarantine authorities in a very simple way?

    [Na Woon-seong]
    The quarantine authorities are currently working hard. The WHO and the domestic quarantine authorities are the same. Since the outbreak of the swine flu in 2009, a lot of research has been done and surveillance epidemiology is in progress. WHO has a surveillance epidemiology program in place. All countries are participating. The World Health Organization, Animal Welfare Organization, and Food Organization are all involved in exploring and tracking the virus. You are also researching how far the mutation has progressed. In addition, if the current H5N1 spreads further, we are currently making H5 vaccine candidates in preparation for the pandemic.

    Efficacy is in progress. If a pandemic situation occurs, this WHO recommends H5 vaccine to each country and has a system to distribute the virus.

    [Anchor Lead]
    We talked about the situation in which highly pathogenic avian influenza is spreading to mammals. Na Woon-seong, a professor of virology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Chonnam National University, was with me. Thank you for your words.


    YTN Kim Jeong-hoe (junghkim@ytn.co.kr)

    ...

    ■ 진행 : 김대근 앵커, 엄지민 앵커■ 출연 : 나운성 전남대 수의과대학 바이러스학과 교수, 최원석 고대 안산병원 감염내과 교수* 아래 텍스트는 실제 방송 내용과 차이가...

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  • sharon sanders
    replied

    In regard to the above post, please see:


    Africa - All avian flu tracking: H5N1 and other strains link

    Asia - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H5N8, H1N08, H9N2, H5N6 link

    ​Canada - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H5N8, H5N2 link

    ​Central America - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H5N8, H5N2 link

    ​China - H9N2, H5N1, H5N8, H5N6, H5N3, H5N2, H10N8, H10N3, H3N8 Outbreak Tracking link

    ​Europe H5N1 Tracking link

    India - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H5N9 link

    Middle East - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H5N8 link

    North America - All avian flu including H5N1 link

    Oceania - All avian flu tracking including: H5N1, H7N7, H5N6 link

    ​South America - All avian flu tracking including H5N1 link

    United States - All avian flu including: H5N2, H5N8, H5N1 link

    FluTrackers 2016+ Global H5N1 Human Cases List

    ​​

    Leave a comment:


  • sharon sanders
    replied


    Tom Peacock Profile picture Tom Peacock

    Subscribe
    @PeacockFlu
    1h • 25 tweets • 8 min read Read on Twitter Bookmark Save as PDF


    There have been some interesting developments with the panzootic (aka a pandemic of animals) H5N1 in mammals over the last few months.

    Though I'd write a brief thread covering Polish cats, South American sealions and European fur farms.Image
    Firstly, a quick situational update on the panzootic in birds. We're now 3 years into this outbreak and the virus is continuing to spread across the world, largely impacting waterfowl and seabirds (including many that are endangered)

    Beyond birds though, we're seeing more and more infections in wild mammals that we've ever seen before. This is particularly widespread in scavengers and predators (for example foxes in Europe)

    In these cases it mostly looks as though these scavengers were directly infected by sick or dead birds and didnt appear to spread the virus on further. However recently there have been several clusters of mammalian infections that may represent mammal-to-mammal transmission

    Firstly, the cats in Poland. This is a very unusual outbreak - over 30 cats with H5N1 infections throughout Poland, sequences are incredibly similar (no regional differences). All viruses share a pair of mammalian adaptations

    Something atypical has likely happened here. There has been suggestion of a shared food source (frozen raw meat?) which i think is very possible, however its harder to explain why every cat has the same mammalian adaptation...

    I think there are 2 potential explanations here.
    1) there are viruses circulating in birds that somehow have these adaptations. This wouldnt be unprecidented and has happened in the past - sequences from wild birds in Poland partially supports this



    The second explanation is somehow meat or byproducts from infected mammals has somehow got into the pet foodchain (either directly, or as fodder for poultry).

    Details of this investigation have been pretty sparse but I hope the source of this outbreak can be resolved quickly...

    Secondly Sealions: Since H5N1 has entered South America there have been reports of mass mortality in both wild birds but also sealion colonies. Particularly on the Eastern coasts of Peru and Chile.


    Genomic data has now been shared from both Chile and Peru. An unusual combination of mammalian adaptations suggests that there may be some stable transmission between sealions. In fact this same combination is also found in the Chilean human sequence...

    This isnt the first potential case of sustained transmission of avian influenza in seals/sealions. I think theres fairly good evidence to suggest this 2011 North American outbreak might have done the same. This would be the first example with H5 though.



    Final point, fur farms - we need to have a serious conversation about whether it is a good idea to continue farming carnivores for fur during an H5N1 panzootic. @wendybarclay11 recently wrote an opinion piece for PNAS arguing its a really bad idea.

    Several species of carnivore are farmed widely for fur in Europe and North America including mink, foxes and raccoon dogs. All of these are wild species (not domesticated) and are pretty universally kept in pretty miserable conditions.Image
    There is a strong ethical arguement that fur farming is one of the most cruel farming practises out there. This lead to many countries outright banning the practise (including the UK).source: https://www.furfreealliance.com/fur-bans/
    However in our piece, we argue that there is a second reason fur farming is a bad idea. Mink (and foxes) are highly susceptible to H5N1. Normally wild foxes or mustelids (the family of animals that contains mink, polecats, ferrets, stoats etc) are fairly solitary.
    Fur farming puts thousands of these animals together in close proximity, creating the perfect conditions for mammalian transmission and adaptationSource: Reuters https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54818615
    For an H5 virus to become a human pandemic it would need to gain changes in the H5 haemagglutinin protein that enabled binding to human-like receptors, and allowed to to stay stable in airborne droplets (see below for a nice article on this topic)
    Unroll available on Thread Reader

    We believe that very few mammals strongly select for these properties, but one that does is ferrets - ferrets are widely used as models for human influenza virus transmission, and for risk assessing emerging influenza viruses

    Limited airborne transmission of H7N9 influenza A virus between ferrets - NatureAn investigation into the transmissibility of the H7N9 influenza A virus in ferrets finds that although the virus has some determinants associated with human adaptation and transmissibility between ma…https://www.nature.com/articles/nature12476
    Mink are close relatives to ferrets. They are much less well studied than ferrets but the evidnece out there suggests they may similarly select for properties that could lead to efficient human to human transmission.



    Therefore, uncontrolled transmission of H5N1 through mink is a feasable pathway to the emergence of a human-transmissible, pandemic H5N1.
    As the COVID-19 pandemic has demosntrated repeatedly, biosecurity on these farms is extremely weak - humans infect mink with SARS-CoV-2, mink re-infect humans. Mink also repeatedly get infected by H5N1, as well as human influenza strains

    the 3 last influenza pandemics arose from mixing between avian and human influenza viruses (sometimes within a swine host). Mink, being highly susceptible to both H5N1 and seasonal influenza could act as mixing vessels for these viruses



    As the outbreaks in mink farms in Spain, and most recently Finland show, H5N1 is not particularly deadly in these animals, therefore it is possible this can go under the radar (or be swept under the carpet). Unlike in birds, H5N1 in fur farms is not notifiable in many places...

    To summerise - there have been some concerning developments with H5N1 recently - its still incredibly unclear how much of a pandemic threat this virus poses but there are real policy changes we can make to reduce that risk...

    thanks for reading! Heres a list of good follows for more detailed info on these outbreaks:
    For overall sitreps: @thijskuiken @DuckSwabber @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic
    Polish cat outbreak: @k_pyrc sealions: @SERGIOLAMBERTUC Finnish fur: @aivelo @PikkaJokelainen @SmuraTeemu


    FluTrackers.com
    @FluTrackers
    ·
    55m
    Thank you for the mention.
    1
    4

    83
    Tom Peacock
    @PeacockFlu
    ·
    52m
    no problem! keep up the good work! With twitter making it harder and harder to work out if sources are reliable you folks fulfill a really valuable service.
    1

    80

    link to thread reader: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...744916480.html
    Last edited by sharon sanders; July 22, 2023, 08:45 AM. Reason: added thread reader link at bottom

    Leave a comment:


  • sharon sanders
    replied
    Originally posted by Pathfinder View Post
    Translation Google

    Health: a rapidly evolving bird flu virus

    The H5N1 virus, behind a record outbreak of bird flu across the world, is changing rapidly, experts warn as calls grow for countries to vaccinate their poultry.

    Posted on June 05, 2023

    The H5N1 virus, causing a record outbreak of bird flu across the world, is changing rapidly, experts warn.

    If the risk for humans remains low, the increasing number of cases among mammals is considered worrying, according to specialists interviewed by AFP. Since its appearance in 1996, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has caused essentially seasonal epizootics. But "something happened" in mid-2021 that made it much more infectious, according to Richard Webby, virologist and director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Center for Avian Pathology Research.

    Annual epidemics
    Since then, epizootics have become annual, extended to new areas and synonymous with massive deaths of wild birds and the slaughter of tens of millions of poultry. For Richard Webby, it is the most important epizootic of bird flu ever known. He led research, published this week in the journal Nature Communications, showing that the virus evolved rapidly as it spread from Europe to North America.

    The researchers infected a ferret with one of the new strains of bird flu. They found an "enormous" and unexpected amount of virus in his brain, indicating a disease more severe than with previous strains. While pointing to a still low risk in humans, Richard Webby observed that “this virus is not static, it evolves”, which “increases the risk that, even by chance”, it can “acquire genetic traits allowing it to be more of a human virus”.

    "Worrying"
    Cases of humans contracting the sometimes fatal virus, usually after close contact with infected birds, are rare. But the detection of the disease in an increasing number of mammals, including new species, is "a really worrying sign", according to Richard Webby.

    Last week, Chile announced that nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters, porpoises and dolphins have died of bird flu on its northern coast since the start of 2023. Most are believed to have contracted the virus from eating birds. infected. "Recent transmissions to mammals must be closely monitored," WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in February.

    Admittedly, there is no "clear evidence that this virus is easily maintained in mammals", according to Ian Brown, head of virology at the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency. And, if the virus evolves to become "more efficient in birds", it remains "unsuitable for humans", he told AFP.

    Avian viruses indeed bind to different receptors on the host cell compared to human viruses, said Richard Webby, explaining that it would take “two or three minor mutations in a virus protein” for them to become more adapted. to humans.

    Poultry vaccination
    One of the ways to decrease the number of bird flu cases and reduce the risk to humans would be to vaccinate poultry, said Richard Webby. Some countries, including China, Egypt or Vietnam, have already organized such vaccination campaigns. But many others are reluctant due to possible import restrictions and fears of infected birds slipping through the cracks.

    In April, the United States began testing several vaccine candidates for potential use in birds. France recently indicated that it hopes to start vaccinating poultry this fall. Vaccination of poultry is not "a magic bullet because the virus is constantly changing", according to Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinarian. But traditionally reluctant countries should consider using it more often, she told an event at the UK Embassy in Paris last week.

    For the Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health, Monique Eloit, the question of the vaccination of poultry should be "on the table". After all, she recalls, "everyone now knows that a pandemic isn't just a fantasy, it could be a reality."

    AFP

    https://www.lafranceagricole.fr/grippe-aviaire/article/840686/un-virus-de-la-grippe-aviaire-en-evolution-rapide​

    Please see:


    Rapid evolution of A(H5N1) influenza viruses after intercontinental spread to North America - Nature

    H5N1: The Only Constant is Change

    Leave a comment:


  • Pathfinder
    replied
    Translation Google

    Health: a rapidly evolving bird flu virus

    The H5N1 virus, behind a record outbreak of bird flu across the world, is changing rapidly, experts warn as calls grow for countries to vaccinate their poultry.

    Posted on June 05, 2023

    The H5N1 virus, causing a record outbreak of bird flu across the world, is changing rapidly, experts warn.

    If the risk for humans remains low, the increasing number of cases among mammals is considered worrying, according to specialists interviewed by AFP. Since its appearance in 1996, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has caused essentially seasonal epizootics. But "something happened" in mid-2021 that made it much more infectious, according to Richard Webby, virologist and director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Center for Avian Pathology Research.

    Annual epidemics
    Since then, epizootics have become annual, extended to new areas and synonymous with massive deaths of wild birds and the slaughter of tens of millions of poultry. For Richard Webby, it is the most important epizootic of bird flu ever known. He led research, published this week in the journal Nature Communications, showing that the virus evolved rapidly as it spread from Europe to North America.

    The researchers infected a ferret with one of the new strains of bird flu. They found an "enormous" and unexpected amount of virus in his brain, indicating a disease more severe than with previous strains. While pointing to a still low risk in humans, Richard Webby observed that “this virus is not static, it evolves”, which “increases the risk that, even by chance”, it can “acquire genetic traits allowing it to be more of a human virus”.

    "Worrying"
    Cases of humans contracting the sometimes fatal virus, usually after close contact with infected birds, are rare. But the detection of the disease in an increasing number of mammals, including new species, is "a really worrying sign", according to Richard Webby.

    Last week, Chile announced that nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters, porpoises and dolphins have died of bird flu on its northern coast since the start of 2023. Most are believed to have contracted the virus from eating birds. infected. "Recent transmissions to mammals must be closely monitored," WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in February.

    Admittedly, there is no "clear evidence that this virus is easily maintained in mammals", according to Ian Brown, head of virology at the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency. And, if the virus evolves to become "more efficient in birds", it remains "unsuitable for humans", he told AFP.

    Avian viruses indeed bind to different receptors on the host cell compared to human viruses, said Richard Webby, explaining that it would take “two or three minor mutations in a virus protein” for them to become more adapted. to humans.

    Poultry vaccination
    One of the ways to decrease the number of bird flu cases and reduce the risk to humans would be to vaccinate poultry, said Richard Webby. Some countries, including China, Egypt or Vietnam, have already organized such vaccination campaigns. But many others are reluctant due to possible import restrictions and fears of infected birds slipping through the cracks.

    In April, the United States began testing several vaccine candidates for potential use in birds. France recently indicated that it hopes to start vaccinating poultry this fall. Vaccination of poultry is not "a magic bullet because the virus is constantly changing", according to Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinarian. But traditionally reluctant countries should consider using it more often, she told an event at the UK Embassy in Paris last week.

    For the Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health, Monique Eloit, the question of the vaccination of poultry should be "on the table". After all, she recalls, "everyone now knows that a pandemic isn't just a fantasy, it could be a reality."

    AFP

    https://www.lafranceagricole.fr/grippe-aviaire/article/840686/un-virus-de-la-grippe-aviaire-en-evolution-rapide​

    Leave a comment:

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