Discussion thread: H5N1 avian flu in US dairy cows including human cases (poultry, dairy workers) - March 24, 2024 +

[Pathfinder]

Over half of U.S. milk now being tested for H5N1

January 7, 2025 By Larry Lee
...
Dr. Keith Poulsen with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tells Brownfield progress is being made towards USDA’s goal of testing all raw milk for the virus. “Over 50% of the cows that produce the milk for the United States are part of the surveilance program now. We’re hoping for another large number of states to be announced this Wednesday (1/8/25). The big ones, California, Pennsylvania, New York are part of this program along with many others.
...

https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/over-half-of-u-s-milk-now-being-tested-for-h5n1/

[Pathfinder]

No need to provide an avian flu vaccine for humans yet, expert says

By: Greg LaRose - January 10, 2025 12:12 pm
...
Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist and chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, said the minor spread of the H5N1 among humans – and no reported instances of human-to-human transmission – makes any widespread administration of a vaccine premature right now.

“There are also many logistical issues that would be associated with deployment of vaccine to farm workers – language barrier, undocumented status, compliance – so that is not the plan at this time, “ Doron said Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America teleconference.
...
Dr. Julio Figeroua, LSU Health chief of infectious diseases and a professor at Louisiana State University’s medical school in New Orleans, also took part in the IDSA teleconference. There have been no secondary avian flu cases related to the patient in Louisiana who died, he said.
...

https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/10/avian-flu/

[sharon sanders]

Excuses. It is proven that dairy cattle and poultry workers are at risk for H5N1 transmission. One person with backyard poultry contact died. link

There are many examples of vaccines being used when there is an occupational hazard despite language spoken or country of origin. For example,

Hepatitis B https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/f...s/bbfact05.pdf
Flu,
Vaccinia,
Yellow fever,
Some medicines when traveling for work to areas of risk, like anti-malaria drugs
-------------------------------

The real truth is that the gov. wants to hoard the H5N1 vaccines and/or complimentary vaccines in case there is a serious human-to-human outbreak. There will not be enough vaccines so let the hoarding begin.

This is the same manipulation as done for the masks at the beginning of the covid pandemic. An official said masks wouldn't work and later he admitted he said that because there were not enough respirators for healthcare workers in the US and the feds wanted to control the market.

So be forewarned. As this site said in the covid pandemic - do not depend on the government to "save" you.

[Pathfinder]

Mild H5N1 cases have been perplexing scientists – now they might have an answer

The variant circulating in America appears to be less lethal and could be triggering different responses from the immune system

Maeve Cullinan
Global Health Security Reporter
15 January 2025 12:12pm GMT

Since bird flu began spreading in the US, one question has been puzzling scientists: why are the farm workers who are catching it only suffering mild illness?

Of the 66 people infected in America this year, the overwhelming majority – more than 98 per cent – have suffered only from conjunctivitis, tiredness, and a sore throat.

Remarkably, all but one case – a Louisiana man in his mid-60s who succumbed to the illness earlier this month – have recovered.
...
A new study published in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infectious Diseases has found that older and newer strains of H5N1 could be triggering different responses from the immune system.
...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/why-mild-h5n1-bird-flu-cases-have-been-perplexing-scientist/

------------------------------
Related to:

Hattip to Tetano:

Emerg Infect Dis . Comparison of Contemporary and Historic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Replication in Human Lung Organoids

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/...lung-organoids

Excerpt:
...
Conclusions

In summary, this study provides a characterization of virus replication and host responses to infection in human alveolar epithelium between a contemporary clade 2.3.4.4b human HPAI H5N1 isolate and the highly virulent A/Vietnam/1203/2004 virus. Further studies are warranted to understand how these viruses interact with the innate immune system, particularly regarding differential ISG and proinflammatory cytokine induction, and how this affects pathogenesis in vivo. Nonetheless, our results indicate that the clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI viruses currently circulating in cattle will likely exhibit reduced human disease severity compared with historic HPAI viruses but should be closely monitored for changes that may influence pathogenicity or transmissibility.

[Pathfinder]

Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds


Last Modified: January 28, 2025
...

...

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/wild-birds

[Pathfinder]

Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks
...


...


...

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

[sharon sanders]

Please see:

APHIS Confirms D1.1 Genotype in Dairy Cattle in Nevada link

[Commonground]

A new type of bird flu has been found in dairy cows in Nevada

February 5, 2025
Excerpts:

A variant of H5N1 bird flu that has circulated widely in wild birds — and in several instances led to severe illness in several humans — has turned up in dairy cattle for the first time.
-snip-
"It shows that even if you get rid of one virus that's established itself, another one can pop up like whack-a-mole," says Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona

It's not yet clear just how long the virus has been circulating in cattle and whether it's widespread. For now, Worobey says it opens up a whole new set of questions about the trajectory of the outbreak in cattle and what that could mean for humans who are exposed

One possibility: The immunity built up in the dairy population against bird flu may not hold up well against this D1.1 genotype, and vaccines in the pipeline may need to be retooled. That could make eliminating the virus from dairy cattle much more "difficult, complicated and less likely," Worobey says.
-snip-

Cattle infections with D1.1. aren't expected to be much different in terms of "virulence and transmission," Dr. Jürgen Richt, a veterinary microbiologist at Kansas State University, told NPR in an email. But its track record in humans could be a "major change from the earlier scenario."
-snip-

Because so much of the work over the past year focused on the other variant, Worobey says "it's going to be a long time before the experiments are done to get a better handle" on what this could mean for humans.

...https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-h...-cattle-nevada

[Pathfinder]

Deadly version of H5N1 bird flu spills over into Nevada dairy cattle

By Susanne Rust
Staff Writer
Feb. 5, 2025 Updated 5:33 PM PT
...
A version of the H5N1 bird flu virus that killed a person in Louisiana and severely sickened a teenager in Canada has now been detected in dairy herds in Nevada. The version, known as D1.1, is circulating in wild birds around the nation — causing massive die-offs in places such as Chicago, upstate New York and Ohio.
...
“I can’t overemphasize what a big deal it is,” said John Korslund, a former USDA scientist, in an email. “This is truly ... unfolding into a nightmare scenario. We have no idea how widespread this version of the virus already is in cattle herds. Every time poultry flocks break (with virus), we’ll need to investigate cattle contacts (which are many) as well as wild bird and other poultry contacts.”
...
“I think many of us, including myself, thought that the first introduction was sort of a fluke,” said Seema Lakdawala, a microbiologist at Emory University in Atlanta. But, she added, the discovery of D1.1 in dairy cows “clearly means that other bird viruses can get into cows.”
...

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-02-05/deadly-version-of-h5n1-bird-flu-spills-over-into-nevada-cattle

[Commonground]

Published: 6 February 2025
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.

Enhancing Healthcare Preparedness: Lessons from a Tabletop Exercise on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)


Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2025, 10(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10020047
Submission received: 21 December 2024 / Revised: 28 January 2025 / Accepted: 1 February 2025 / Published: 6 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Viral Threats: Surveillance, Impact, and Mitigation)

Abstract

Tabletop exercises offer a structured opportunity to assess strengths and potential gaps in preparedness and response plans in a safe learning environment. The New York City Health + Hospitals System-Wide Special Pathogens Program conducted an innovative and multidisciplinary tabletop exercise involving escalating scenarios of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in 2023. The goals were to assess patient screening processes for infectious diseases within healthcare facilities, infection prevention and control strategies, risk communication, and notification and involvement of public health stakeholders. Participants reflected on previous outbreak responses, discussed the importance of risk communication, and shared insights on tools and resources that would better support healthcare professionals in identifying and managing patients with HPAI/H5N1 infection. Key takeaways included establishing clear protocols for HPAI/H5N1 management, providing timely education to healthcare professionals, and assessing useful communication modalities. Methods: The exercise included escalating scenarios involving a single case of HPAI/H5N1 advancing to community transmission. Key participants spanned clinical departments, infection prevention and control, emergency management, and local public health stakeholders. Structured discussions targeted triggers for escalation, infection prevention strategies, and communication pathways. Results: Findings highlighted the need for tailored screening criteria, robust infection prevention protocols, clear communication strategies, and collaboration with public health authorities. Specific improvements included refining triage and isolation protocols, enhancing staff education, and leveraging syndromic surveillance systems. Conclusion: This exercise underscored the importance of proactive planning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and integration of biosafety measures to strengthen healthcare system resilience against HPAI/H5N1.
Keywords: tabletop exercise; Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI); H5N1; healthcare system preparedness; infection prevention and control; early detection and response

https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/2/47

[Commonground]

Bird flu affects 50,000 cows in the state of Nevada
10 hrs ago


It was confirmed on January 21st that there is a new variant of H5N1, or avian flu, circulating in dairy cows in Churchill County.

Before this, B313 was the strain circulating throughout the nation's cattle since last March.

There is one herd in southern Nevada that was quarantined with the B313 strain back in early December, but now the latest herds have been diagnosed with a new variant, D1.1.

“This strain is another spill over event from wild waterfowl, and it has never been documented in cows before,” said JJ Goicoechea, a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine and Director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
-snip-

In Nevada we're not seeing severe infections in humans, although they've had a few reported cases of conjunctivitis.

“Almost all cases have been conjunctivitis. Very mild signs. Now there was one that did have a variant, and that individual did succumb to that, but they also had underlying medical conditions and that was in Louisiana.”
-snip-

“Right now, we have a total of seven, the one in southern Nevada which was the first variant and now six in Churchill county which is the new variant, so we have a total of seven herds in Nevada quarantined with H5N1.”

That is around 50,000 total cows quarantined.

continued: https://www.2news.com/news/bird-flu-...7aa597922.html

[Chicagogal]

7 herds. Is this variant expanding more quickly?

[Commonground]

7 herds. Is this variant expanding more quickly?

Chicagogal, the reason I put this story here is that I have not been able to get a 2nd source. So, I'll move it over once I do.

[Mary Wilson]

The Occurrence of Another Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Spillover from Wild Birds into Dairy Cattle

APHIS USDA

... States began enrolling in the NMTS in December 2024, in which they are continuing to conduct or now implementing state-wide bulk tank surveillance and/or milk processing plant silo monitoring. Nevada was among the first to participate in the National Silo Monitoring Program, which includes testing milk samples from processing plant silos for HPAI. This sampling scheme coincides with the FDA's existing regulatory program, which requires all raw milk Grade A silos to be sampled four times within 6 months.

The Detection

In Nevada, 3 of 11 silo samples collected on January 6 and 7, 2025 tested positive for HPAI via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) on January 10. The state was notified, triggering an investigation to trace the source, as up to 12 dairies (in the same geographic region) could have contributed milk to the affected silos. On January 17, regulatory officials collected on-farm bulk milk samples from suspected dairy farms and submitted them to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL), a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). HPAI was confirmed via
PCR at NVSL on Friday, January 24, in samples from two of those dairies. NVSL completed whole genome sequencing on January 31 and identified HPAI H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype D1.1 in samples from four different bulk tanks from one herd. A second herd also showed a partial sequence consistent with D1.1. Clinical signs were not observed in the cattle prior to the detection, but have been reported since, and the affected dairy producers reported large wild bird die-offs near the dairies.

While genotype D1.1 has been the dominant strain circulating in migratory wild birds across all four North American flyways during the winter of 2024-2025, these Nevada cases represent the first detection of a genotype other than B3.13 in U.S. dairy cattle and the second known spillover from wild birds into lactating dairy cattle.

Virus Epidemiology and Origin

Since late 2021, six separate introductions of Eurasian HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b have been documented into the migratory wild birds in the North American flyways (genotypes A1 through A6). Genotype D1.1 is a reassortant of A3. Genotype A3 first appeared in the Pacific flyway in April of 2022 with detections only in the Pacific flyway until the fall of 2024. Since this fall, genotype A3 has been sporadically reported in migratory wild birds across all four flyways through wild bird surveillance, making up 3.3% of the overall detections to date. Genotype D1.1 retains four genes from the original A3 genotype; hemagglutinin (HA), polymerase basic 1 (PB1), matrix (M) and nonstructural (NS), with other genes originating from other North American
lineage viruses found in migratory wild birds. This genotype was first detected in September 2024 and has quickly expanded to all North American flyways. D1.1 is the current predominant genotype in migratory wild birds, making up 6.07% of the total detections since 2022 despite first occurring late 2024.

The D1.1 viruses identified in dairy cattle in Nevada were found to be closely related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in migratory wild birds across multiple North American Flyways. Analysis of the hemagglutinin gene of the Nevada dairy cattle viruses did not identify changes predicted to impact infectivity or adaptation to mammalian hosts. However, a change of PB2 D701N commonly associated with mammalian adaptation of HPAI virus was identified in viruses sequenced from four separate dairy cattle. To date, this change has not been observed in D1.1 viruses found in wild birds or poultry and is not found in B3.13 genotype viruses detected in
dairy cattle. PB2 D701N has previously been associated with mammalian adaptation because it improves RNA polymerase activity and replication efficiency in mammalian cells and has the potential to impact pathogenesis in infected mammals (2,3,4,5,6). The change has previously been identified in human cases of HPAI H5 but with no evidence of onward transmission among humans (7,8). No other changes associated with mammalian adaptation were identified in the sequences. Of note, these D1.1 viruses sequenced from dairy cattle do not contain the PB2 - 631L marker that appeared to be fixed in dairy cattle B3.13 sequences. Following the existing public sharing process, NVSL immediately provided the D1.1 sequence information the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will post sequence files to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Sequence Read Archive (SRA) within 7 days of analysis, adding metadata as sequences are interpreted and quality checked in light of epidemiological information. ...

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dairy-cattle-hpai-tech-brief.pdf

[sharon sanders]

Also please see:

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/the-pandemic-discussion-forum/989325-h5n1-genetic-sequences-2024?p=1007130#post1007130

[Commonground]

Hogvet51’s Livestock Emerging and Zoonotic Disease Forum


H5N1 2.3.4.4b Circus Unveils Next Act: Genotype D1.1 Takes Center Stage in Cattle
February 8, 2025

Excerpts:

I was quoted in a news release later that afternoon from the LA Times: Deadly version of H5N1 bird flu spills over into Nevada dairy cattle - Los Angeles Times

…“I can’t overemphasize what a big deal it is,” said John Korslund, a former USDA scientist, in an email. “This is truly ... unfolding into a nightmare scenario. We have no idea how widespread this version of the virus already is in cattle herds. Every time poultry flocks break (with virus), we’ll need to investigate cattle contacts (which are many) as well as wild bird and other poultry contacts.”

Quite frankly, it dumbfounds me that USDA, while praising itself for detecting virus in milk samples from multiple cow herds (now up to 6) that obviously contracted virus via multiple contacts with wild birds, continues to state that “the detection does not change USDA’s HPAI eradication strategy”. This obvious difficulty was pointed out quite well by researchers quoted in a CNN release on Wednesday: New bird flu infections in Nevada dairy cattle signal the virus may be here to stay | CNN

…. It suggests thatt the virus could be seeding itself into cattle through introductions from wild birds, which are ubiquitous. That could mean the H5N1 infection might become endemic, or continuously circulating, in birds in North America, and that may eventually spell trouble for people, too.

-snip-
The Ohio cluster really raised my concerns that wild bird populations may not be the sole viral source in an area where 40+ poultry flocks were infected in a month’s time. Reliable sources indicate that beef herds in the area may have suffered significant “influenza-like” mortalities. Do we have any diagnostic results with influenza PCR results on cattle respiratory tracts? No positive milk silo reports have yet been reported from western Ohio, but what is the reporting lag? Have any swine herds with influenza like illness been tested and sequenced if matrix positive?

Here is a map showing the 5 counties listed in the news article with the commercial flock outbreaks. I also mapped NASS dairy and swine herd inventories for Pennsylvania to illustrate that concentrated commercial livestock industries are interspersed with each other in the southeast quadrant of the state.




Full Post: https://hogvet51.substack.com/p/h5n1...=156379297&utm _campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3u0ga7&triedRedirect=true& utm_medium=email