avian flu outbreak

Avian influenza viruses change slowly over time, but the right mutation could make them more transmissible in people and other species, says Ian Barr, deputy director of the World Health . HPAI viruses cause high mortality in poultry, and occasionally in some wild birds. 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. That was the case in the 2014-2015 outbreak which came when Hagerman worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS. However, since then, infections in both humans and birds have been observed. University of Maryland. Though human infection is currently rare, efficient transmission between farmed minks in Spain raises concerns about potential human transmission. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Comparing the current U.S. virus to the one in Europe, Webby says, "From the outside looking in, they look very similar. USDA has publicly posted the genetic sequences of several of recently detected H5N1 bird flu viruses found in U.S. wild birds and poultry. The H5N1 avian influenza virus is causing the largest bird flu outbreak in history, infecting millions of birds and a growing range of mammal species. Heres the key question: If H5N1 can achieve spread in minks and possibly sea lions, why not humans? Where do we direct our funds for maximum benefit? What is the World Economic Forum doing about fighting pandemics? The virus of concern in this outbreak is a Eurasian H5N1 HPAI virus that causes high mortality and severe clinical signs in domesticated poultry. (2023, April 19). Additional Information Return to top The disease can and does affect humans, but it's rare. Sea lions in Peru are also succumbing to H5N1 virus in massive numbers. "It's difficult to estimate how many birds are truly affected across wild populations, but we're seeing dramatic disease impacts in raptors, sea birds and colonial nesting birds. Another central issue is the difficulty of surveillance of knowing whether a bird is infected with a deadly influenza virus but isn't showing symptoms because they've been vaccinated. Between December 2022 and February 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in wild aquatic birds (pelicans and penguins) and sea mammals (sea lions) in the Antofagasta Region where the case resides. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. Influenza viruses are common among wild aquatic birds, which often show no symptoms despite being infected. All Rights Reserved. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. 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. A virus is single-minded: It has to replicate, to reproduce, He said. "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. 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. "Unlike H5N8, this disease is heavily impacting wild birds," Johanna Harvey, a postdoctoral researcher and the lead author of the study published in Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland, said. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. Avian influenza can spread quickly and appears to be almost 100% fatal for some species. The current wave of H5N1 avian fluan influenza type A virus that first emerged in Chinese poultry in 1996 and has been circulating worldwide ever sincearrived in . With avian influenza viruses, it is not possible to make effective human vaccines in advance, because we dont know exactly what the genetics of the virus will be if it starts to spread well in humans. The sun can, for instance, naturally disinfect surfaces while gloomier days help viral particles survive on surfaces contaminated by infected bird poop, Lorenzoni said. However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. LPAI can cause mild to moderate disease in poultry, and usually little to no clinical signs of illness in wild birds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Unlike the 2014-15 outbreak, this one is being driven by wild birds, not by farm-to-farm transmission. Infected poultry or eggs do not enter the food supply chain. This webpage summarizes the current avian influenza (bird flu) situation in humans in the United States. Where remote jobs are growing fastest - 4 charts show the locations and sectors, Understanding the impact of COVID-19 supply disruptions on exporters in global value chains, Laura Lebastard, Marco Matani and Roberta Serafini, How the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in advanced economies, Florence Jaumotte, Myrto Oikonomou, Carlo Pizzinelli and Marina M. Tavares, The pandemic made us nicer and the change might be lasting, Charted: The happiest countries in the world, is affecting economies, industries and global issues, with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale. ". 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. More than 77 million poultry, most raised in crowded. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. But she notes that U.S. egg prices can be affected if just a few farms have to dispose of their flocks. "This outbreak in the wild bird population is a lot more extensive than we saw in 2014 and 2015," says David Stallknecht, an avian influenza researcher with the University of Georgia. World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. "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. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. "One of the big complications is timing on a vaccine," Hagerman says. Left: In Iowa, two massive egg-laying operations had to cull more than 5 million birds in single incidents earlier this year. One of the people infected in Cambodia, an 11-year-old girl, died from the illness. "People in Central America and South America really need to be aware," he says, "that this virus is likely to arrive on their doorstepif it hasn't . The US is currently experiencing its worst-ever outbreak of bird flu, also known as avian influenza and a new study has found that the strain could become endemic in the country. All Rights Reserved. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Rex/Shutterstock Efforts to halt the spread of this strain of virus have been complicated by its. The current most problematic strain, H5N1, was first detected in southern China and Hong Kong back in 1996. The poultry industry has been credited with surveillance and prevention of avian influenza but the virus remains a threat. But this new virus appears sustained throughout the year, with summertime disease detections in wild birds and poultry outbreaks occurring in both the spring and fall. This is a concern because studies have shown that only one or two mutations in the viral genome are enough to switch receptor binding from a2,3-linked sialic acid to the human a2,6-linked sialic acid. Recently it has begun infecting an exploding diversity of bird and mammalian species around the globe. Some strains, like the version of H5N1 that is currently spreading, are frequently. Avian Influenza. The 2015 avian flu outbreak generally happened in the fall, when . Comparing information about these newer viruses to previously circulating H5N1 bird flu viruses helps inform the human health risk assessment. Some research indicates that detection of HPAI viruses in wild birds has become more common. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-consumers-need-to-know-about-the-avian-flu-outbreak, As avian flu spreads, North American zoos take precautions to protect birds, Americans may soon pay more for milk, cheese as rising heat stresses livestock, For Midwest farmers, floodwaters threaten millions in crop and livestock losses, outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, depression, coughing and sneezing and sudden death, the risk to public health from this outbreak is low, last H5N1 outbreak in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015, travel thousands of miles between continents, eradicate HPAI quickly after it is detected. The Powers Farm white turkey flock is seen under shelter as part of an effort to prevent exposure to avian influenza on Nov. 14, 2022 in Townsend, Del. Bird flu has led to the death and slaughter of 316 million poultry worldwide . But the calculations might change if the virus is determined to be endemic in wild birds or in a geographic area. The U.S. is enduring an unprecedented poultry health disaster, with a highly . Back when the avian flu outbreak had affected 24 states and some 24 million commercial birds, only eight cases had been confirmed in commercial broiler chickens. Turkey farms account for more than 70% of the commercial poultry farms infected in the outbreak, the USDA said. The World Health Organization is closely monitoring and analyzing the spread of H5N1 in mammals. The patient recovered after experiencing a few days of fatigue. Just one or two mutations could make H5N1 more efficient at infecting humans. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters. March 6, 2023. It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry in the United States. Saving Lives, Protecting People, 1 case in U.S. after exposure to infected birds, Human Infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in Chile, Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(H3N8) Virus Reported by China, Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses, If you have contact with infected birds and become sick, Clinician, laboratorian or public health worker, Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Timeline 2020-2023, Avian Influenza: Information for Health Professionals and Laboratorians, USDA: Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, USDA: Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses (cdc.gov), Human Infection With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Chile (cdc.gov), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Wild Birds, Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Backyard and Commercial Birds, Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Influenza, Spread of Bird Flu Viruses Between Animals and People, Past Examples of Probable Limited, Non-Sustained, Person-to-Person Spread of Avian Influenza A Viruses, Reported Human Infections with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Information for People Exposed to Birds Infected with Avian Influenza Viruses of Public Health Concern, Recommendations for Worker Protection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Self-Observation Instructions for Demobilizing Bird Flu Responders, Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza, Questions & Answers: H5N1 Genetic Change Inventory, Interim Guidance on Testing, Specimen Collection, and Processing for Patients with Suspected Infection with Novel Influenza A Viruses with the Potential to Cause Severe Disease in Humans, Diagnostics for Detecting H7N9 Using rRT-PCR, Infection Control Within Healthcare Settings for Patients with Novel Influenza A Viruses, For Clinicians: Evaluating and Managing Patients, Use of Antiviral Medications for Treatment of Human Infections with Novel Influenza A Viruses, Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis of Persons Exposed to Birds with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Follow-up of Close Contacts of Persons Infected with Novel Influenza A Viruses and Use of Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Avian flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the intestine, while human flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the respiratory tract. In addition, we have better diagnostic tests for much more rapid and improved detection of avian influenza compared to 20 to 30 years ago, using molecular diagnostics such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests the same method labs use to detect COVID-19 infections. That "certainly seems to be the case in Europe and Africa," Webby says, adding, "my gut feeling is we're headed that way in the Americas as well. There are only a small handful of examples of human-to-human spread. Many virologists are concerned that this virus could spill over to humans and cause a new human pandemic. 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. CHICAGO Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the countrys deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Thursday. 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. The data also reveals a shift from a seasonal to a year-round disease. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. No known human-to-human spread has occurred with the A(H5N1) virus that is currently circulating in birds in the United States and globally. Wild birds continue to spread HPAI throughout the country as they migrate, so preventing contact between domestic flocks and wild birds is critical to protecting U.S. poultry, said Rosemary Sifford, the USDAs chief veterinary officer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the avian influenza A virus has been detected in mammals such as skunks, bears, a raccoon and a red fox. Viruses are notoriously quick to mutate. The third and most worrisome reason that this virus is getting so much press is that H5N1 now seems to be transmitting well between individuals of at least one mammalian species. 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. Right now, the H5N1 bird flu situation remains primarily an animal health issue. Most people who have contracted H5N1 have gotten it directly from interacting with infected poultry specifically chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, which often are raised in close quarters on large commercial farms. This can happen when virus is in the air (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or possibly when a person touches something that has virus on it and then touches their mouth, eyes or nose. "Just a lot . You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. That includes millions of chickens and turkeys in barns and backyards that had been raised to provide eggs or meat. Birds often die after becoming infected. If provided, your email will not be published or shared. More information about this case is, The detections of H5 viruses in wild birds, poultry, some mammals, and in one person in the United States do not change the risk to the general publics health, which CDC considers to be low. University of Maryland. You can review and change the way we collect information below. By the end of December, more than 43 million egg-laying hens were lost to the disease itself or to depopulation since the . Introduction of the Eurasian lineage HPAI to North . Months earlier, the bird flu outbreak drove the cost of turkey meat to record highs. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus "can cause disease that affects multiple internal organs with mortality up to 90% to 100%in chickens, often within 48 hours," the CDC notes. "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. An avian influenza outbreak has been detected in the West African nations of Senegal and The Gambia. The outbreak is "wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before," Jennifer Mullinax, an assistant professor of environmental science and technology at the University of Maryland, told Sky News. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or "H" proteins, of which there . A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. "The chicken that most people think of, their chicken tenders, their chicken sandwiches, all of those things haven't tended to have the same kinds of impact," she adds. Last week, the US government started testing four new bird-flu vaccines to try and protect the poultry from this mass outbreak, Reuters reported. What are the triggers for different actions, and how do we measure if we're succeeding? Farms there are likely to be more vulnerable. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning that they causes no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry. In January, the dangerous H5N1 flu virus was found in an American wigeon duck in South Carolina the first U.S. case since 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team found that the deadly impact on wild birds and a shift from seasonal to year-round infections signal dangerous changes in avian influenza in the U.S. 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. And if the outbreak lingers into spring, infections could become even more difficult to prevent as a new wave of bird migrations begin. We are also mammals. Among these, H5N1 and H7N9 viruses have caused the majority of infections in people. Globally since 2003, countries have reported rare, sporadic human infections with H5N1 bird flu viruses to the World Health Organization (WHO). 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. These decisions have to be made on multiple scales.". Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. A man weighs and checks his flock of white turkeys at his family's farm last year in Townsend, Del. That was also true of the last H5N1 outbreak in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015. The researchers believe that bird flu will probably become endemic a phenomenon where a disease is constantly present within an area or community in the US which could affect food security and the economy. 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. The virus transmits very, very rapidly within the flock, so even if birds dont appear sick, they will eventually die very soon, Lorenzoni said. "This is a novel virus for North American birds, so no one knows if their immune systems will adapt, or how long that will take, or what that will look like. Peru decreed a 90-day health emergency in December 2022 after more than 13,000 pelicans died on its beaches, possibly infected with H5N1. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. After the migrating gull came ashore, the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as the H5N1 virus, exploded across North America. 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 late 2022, mammal-to-mammal spread occurred in Spain in farmed minks. The second reason for increased attention is that H5N1 is now infecting more bird and mammalian species than ever before. Avian influenza Type A viruses (bird flu viruses) do not normally infect people, but rare cases of human infection have occurred with some bird flu viruses. And right now, a specific version of the virus known as clade 2.3.4.4b is ruling the roost. This webpage will be updated at 2 PM EST each Wednesday to reflect any new data posted in the previous week. By contrast, humans experience influenza as a respiratory infection and spread it by breathing and coughing. With the recent detections of the Eurasian H5 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds and domestic poultry in the United States, bird owners should review their biosecurity practices and stay vigilant to protect poultry and pet birds from this disease. At least 50.54 million birds have died this year from the Avian flu, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.. Why it matters: This represents the highest amount of deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds since 50.5 million died from an outbreak in 2015, according to Reuters. Local weather conditions also influence how the virus spreads. Mario Tama/Getty Images As a result of recurrent outbreaks, U.S. egg inventories were 29 percent lower in the final week of December 2022 than at the beginning of the year. Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and wild birds (especially waterfowl). CDC does not currently recommend any travel restrictions related to bird flu to countries affected by bird flu in poultry or people. The researchers collected samples from 1,079 wild birds and 132 gray seals and harbor seals stranded along the North Atlantic coast from Jan. 20 to July 31, 2022. Most cases of human infection have been in Southeast Asia, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Generally, when the weather gets hot, influenza goes away for the most part," Hagerman says. But nearly 11 months after the first known wild case in the current outbreak, the deadly influenza virus is still here. Monitoring and prevention of avian influenza has improved since the last major outbreak in 2015, Lorenzoni said, when roughly 50 million birds were killed over six months. The H5N1 strain is causing a variety of new problems and has killed more than 58 million birds. In January, Insider's George Glover explained the egg crisis facing Americans as prices surged by almost 60% in 2022 due to the influenza outbreak. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. The COVID con is over, monkeypox is a non-event, so lets resurrect bird flu as the new threat to mankind and a chance for Big Pharma to create a new raft of bloated billionaires.You must think Jo Public is even dumber than the brains behind these pathetic endless scare stories. For more information about prevention, especially for people who keep domesticated birds or are bird-watching hobbyists, the Centers for Disease Control has a list of guidelines for avoiding H5N1 and other bird flu viruses. Which cells influenza infects is partially dictated by the specific receptor that it binds. 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. Many migratory bird species travel thousands of miles between continents, posing a continuing risk of AI virus transmission. Illness in humans from all bird flu virus infections has ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death. Once viruses are in cells, they may be able to produce copies of themselves, at which point an infection has been achieved. The viruses are from clade 2.3.4.4b,** which is the most common H5N1 bird flu virus worldwide at this time. The research team recommends a management approach based on a method called Structured Decision-Making, which follows a specific process of identifying and bringing together relevant individuals with an interest, expertise or stake in an issue, distinguishing the unknown from the known factors and establishing measurable goals and actions with quantifiable results. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The primary natural hosts and reservoir of AI viruses are wild waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. Learn more about the latest avian influenza situation in the United States and globally. CDC twenty four seven. The best way to stop the spread of the disease is if we eliminate all the birds that are in close contact with the contaminated birds.. That doesnt seem like much of a genetic obstacle. 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. Losses of poultry flocks sent prices foreggsand turkey meat to record highs, worsening economic pain for consumers facing red-hot inflation and making Thursdays Thanksgiving celebrations more expensive in the United States. Learn what to do if you have contact with infected birds and become sick. Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Timeline 2020-2023, Reported Global Reported Global Human Infections with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) (HPAI H5N1) by Country, 1997-2022, Classification of bird flu viruses section, Reported Human Infections with Bird Flu Viruses, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Wild Birds, Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Backyard and Commercial Birds, Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Influenza, Spread of Bird Flu Viruses Between Animals and People, Past Examples of Probable Limited, Non-Sustained, Person-to-Person Spread of Avian Influenza A Viruses, Reported Human Infections with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Information for People Exposed to Birds Infected with Avian Influenza Viruses of Public Health Concern, Recommendations for Worker Protection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Self-Observation Instructions for Demobilizing Bird Flu Responders, Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza, Questions & Answers: H5N1 Genetic Change Inventory, Interim Guidance on Testing, Specimen Collection, and Processing for Patients with Suspected Infection with Novel Influenza A Viruses with the Potential to Cause Severe Disease in Humans, Diagnostics for Detecting H7N9 Using rRT-PCR, Infection Control Within Healthcare Settings for Patients with Novel Influenza A Viruses, For Clinicians: Evaluating and Managing Patients, Use of Antiviral Medications for Treatment of Human Infections with Novel Influenza A Viruses, Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis of Persons Exposed to Birds with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Follow-up of Close Contacts of Persons Infected with Novel Influenza A Viruses and Use of Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Sporadic highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections in, The first case of an avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a person in the United States was reported on April 28, 2022.

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