avian flu outbreak

"Generally speaking, these complexes are over a million birds, easily," Hagerman says. Just one or two mutations could make H5N1 more efficient at infecting humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)a disease infecting birds and poultrystruck egg-laying hens throughout 2022. 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. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media. Experts say poultry farms should be credited with limiting the virus as much as they have, hailing the success of surveillance and biosecurity programs. When H5N1 is diagnosed on a farm or in a backyard flock, state and federal officials will quarantine the site and cull and dispose of all the birds in the infected flock. Left: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Bill Powers checks on his flock of white turkeys, which have been kept under shelter all year to prevent exposure to avian influenza. 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. His lab is largely operating seven days a week. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice. 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. "Generally you need two doses of a vaccine and then a length of time to achieve full effectiveness.". ScienceDaily. Get recent updates on bird flu outbreaks in the U.S. This particular A (H7N9) virus had not previously been seen in either animals or people until it was found in March 2013 in China. Read the original article. After the migrating gull came ashore, the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as the H5N1 virus, exploded across North America. Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent infection with bird flu viruses, but can reduce the risk of getting sick with human and bird flu viruses at the same time. Though human infection is currently rare, efficient transmission between farmed minks in Spain raises concerns about potential human transmission. A sample of avian influenza isolated from a Chilean man who fell ill last month contains two genetic mutations that are signs of adaptation to mammals, officials from the Centers . Federal agencies, state agencies, the agriculture sector and wildlife management, we are all going to have to deal with this together, because we can't afford not to.". 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. Bird flu US egg factory roasts alive 5.3m chickens in avian flu cull - then fires almost every worker Laborers worked for a month disposing of birds killed in a gruesomely inhumane manner.. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Some research indicates that detection of HPAI viruses in wild birds has become more common. 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. As those birds traveled, so did the virus. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Six main hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes of bird flu viruses have infected people to cause acute respiratory illness (H3, H5, H6, H7, H9, and H10 viruses). Avian influenza A (H5N1) was first detected in the Region of the Americas in birds in December 2014. But when domesticated poultry, such as chickens and turkeys, come in direct or indirect contact with feces of infected wild birds, they become infected and start to show symptoms, such as depression, coughing and sneezing and sudden death. One scientist said the variant is "wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before. The disease can and does affect humans, but it's rare. Recently it has begun infecting an exploding diversity of bird and mammalian species around the globe. Experts say the virus, known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, has been difficult to contain because it appears to be more prevalent in wild birds now than during previous outbreaks a development that also makes future infections more likely. 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. "Good decision science is what you do when you don't know what is going to happen next," said Mullinax, who teaches decision-making science. "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. ", A biosecurity sign is seen at the Powers Farm, which raises turkeys in Townsend, Del. "A lot of countries don't use vaccines for this virus in their poultry," Webby says. "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. 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. More information about bird flu in humans is available at Bird Flu Virus Infections in Humans. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Egg prices have risen this year, as aggressive measures against avian influenza disrupted the U.S. industry. The virus transmits very, very rapidly within the flock, so even if birds dont appear sick, they will eventually die very soon, Lorenzoni said. The 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. Higher prices for eggs and poultry meat in the U.S. are one result. The virus can take commercial poultry farms out of commission for extended periods. Sporadic human cases of H5N1 reported with H5N1 viruses circulating in birds since 2021 have occurred following exposure to infected poultry. People with job-related or recreational exposures to birds or infected mammals should take. The team also suggests that H5N1 will likely become endemic, potentially posing risks to food security and the economy. In the U.S. the virus has led to the destruction of millions of commercially raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, and has killed thousands of wild birds.. So far, current H5N1 bird flu viruses lack changes seen in the past that have been associated with viruses spreading easily among poultry, infecting people more easily, and causing severe illness in people. Thus, to become efficient at infecting humans, H5N1 would likely need to mutate to use a2,6-linked sialic acid as its receptor. A man was also diagnosed with the virus in Chile, according to the World Health Organization. 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. Details: The bird flu can kill birds once they're infected, according to Reuters. If allowed to spread unfettered, the pathogen could evolve in such a way that makes it more devastating or harder to control. The new H5N1 strain has already killed over 58 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds, Reuters reported. Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary on Oct. 5 in Acton, Calif. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has entered Southern California, driven by wild bird migration. They have to remove dead birds, disinfect their facility and bring new birds in thats a several-month process to do that, said Kevin Snekvik, the executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University. 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. Instead, the virus sort of simmered through the summer months, she adds, "and then we get into the cooler, wetter months of the fall and we see a resurgence. The dynamics of the spread of avian influenza viruses are very complex. The Biden administration is considering vaccinating farmed poultry flocks, but the logistics could be quite complicated. And right now, a specific version of the virus known as clade 2.3.4.4b is ruling the roost. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. Currently, the risk to humans remains low; however, sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred. "Tragic though this case in Cambodia is, we expect there to be some cases of clinical disease with such a widespread infection. 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The team's conclusions are based on an analysis of five different data sources that provide information on the incidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds and poultry focusing on the USA and Canada as well as a global database from 2014 through early 2023. hide caption. Low pathogenic disease is less contagious and easier to contain than the highly pathogenic variety. U.S. experts had been bracing for an outbreak, watching successful strains of the H5N1 influenza virus proliferate in Europe and elsewhere. "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. Many migratory bird species travel thousands of miles between continents, posing a continuing risk of AI virus transmission. Influenza viruses are common among wild aquatic birds, which often show no symptoms despite being infected. .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. And if the outbreak lingers into spring, infections could become even more difficult to prevent as a new wave of bird migrations begin. It has . That doesnt seem like much of a genetic obstacle. However, CDC is watching this situation closely and taking routine preparedness and prevention measures in case this virus changes to pose a greater human health risk. These cases do not change the human risk assessment to the general public, which CDC considers to be low. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. "This time we didn't see that virus circulation going down to zero in our wild bird population" over the summer, Hagerman says. There were only three cases of human infection in 2023, two in Cambodia, and one in China. But nearly 11 months after the first known wild case in the current outbreak, the deadly influenza virus is still here. 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. By the end of December, more than 43 million egg-laying hens were lost to the disease itself or to depopulation since the . 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. .chakra .wef-10kdnp0{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;}What is the World Economic Forum doing about fighting pandemics? Better known as bird . Farmers struggled to keep the disease and wild birds out of their barns after increasing security and cleaning measures following the 2015 outbreak. And while the risk of the virus spilling over into humans remains low, scientists say communities will feel the consequences of such a serious and lengthy outbreak for months to come. 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. Thank you. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters. Previous outbreaks of avian influenza -- whether low pathogenic virus that is endemic in the U.S. or highly pathogenic H5N8 in 2015 -- typically occurred in the fall, which meant farmers could . Avian influenza viruses are classified as either "low pathogenic" or "highly pathogenic" based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. The spread is much more complex than what we normally predict, Kuchipudi said. The patient recovered after experiencing a few days of fatigue. By contrast, humans experience influenza as a respiratory infection and spread it by breathing and coughing. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning that they causes no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact has occurred rarely in other countries in the past, and when it has happened, it has been limited and not sustained,and didnotspread beyond close contacts. Reports are seasonal, with a peak in February and a low point in September. No, thats not necessary. Viruses are notoriously quick to mutate. ScienceDaily. The first U.S. case of a person infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus was reported in April in Colorado. Heres the key question: If H5N1 can achieve spread in minks and possibly sea lions, why not humans? Some strains, like the version of H5N1 that is currently spreading, are frequently. This means that the virus is well adapted to them, and these birds do not typically get sick when they are infected with it. Here's what you need to know about the 2022 outbreak in the U.S.: The losses stretch across the U.S., and they're deepest in the country's middle: More than 1 million birds have been killed in each of 11 states that stretch from Utah to the Midwest and on to Delaware, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. HPAI caused high mortality in poultry, but infections were sporadic and contained. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Europe and Britain are also suffering their worst avian-flu crises, and some British supermarketsrationed customers eggpurchases after the outbreak disrupted supplies. More than 77 million poultry, most raised in crowded. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. 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. APHIS is working closely with State partners on surveillance . "Unlike H5N8, this disease is heavily impacting wild birds," said Johanna Harvey, a postdoctoral researcher at UMD and lead author of the study. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. The same strain had caused a wave of bird flu outbreaks across Europe and Asia. "This paper illustrates how unprecedented it is, and describes what we think is coming. More than 40 million egg-laying hens have been culled in the U.S. alone, causing the price of eggs nationwide to skyrocket, Lorenzoni said. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. ScienceDaily, 19 April 2023. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. The first case of H5N1 infection in a human in the US was reported in April 2022. "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." As H5N1 infects more species, it also increases its geographical range and produces more viral variants that could have new biological properties. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230419125054.htm (accessed April 30, 2023). Now that the virus is here, it shows no sign of going away. 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. Once that happens, entire flocks typically need to be culled. Speedy Robo-Gripper Reflexively Organizes What Made Us Human? Importers would not be able to distinguish vaccinated birds from infected birds based on the routine testing, so they might ban all U.S. poultry exports. A man weighs and checks his flock of white turkeys at his family's farm last year in Townsend, Del. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Avian influenza A (H7N9) is a subtype of influenza viruses that have been detected in birds in the past. Efforts to prevent infections in commercial and backyard flocks are ongoing, but slowing the outbreak has been challenging because the virus seems to have gained a foothold in species of wild birds, said Biao He, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." Outbreaks have become more common due to the high density and frequent movement of flocks from intensive poultry production. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. . A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. hide caption. IE 11 is not supported. The USDAs Defend the Flock Program includes, for instance, information on biosecurity measures and how to spot signs of illness. However, sometimes a flu virus can acquire mutations that allow it to infect cells in a different part of the body. Please check your inbox to confirm. During past H5N1 bird flu virus outbreaks that have occurred . ", "These are actually discussions that are going on now," Webby says, describing ideas such as what kind of post-vaccination surveillance would be needed to "make sure your trading partners are happy that the virus is not circulating silently.". A key part of the challenge, Webby says, is that like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the avian flu virus has spun off several variants of concern. Better known as the bird flu, avian influenza is a group of flu viruses that is well adapted to birds. Once viruses are in cells, they may be able to produce copies of themselves, at which point an infection has been achieved. The U.S. is enduring an unprecedented poultry health disaster, with a highly . However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Vaccination also could delay outbreak detection, since it can potentially hide non-apparent infections in infected birds. University of Maryland. . However, since then, infections in both humans and birds have been observed. Nathan Howard/Getty Images Avian flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the intestine, while human flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the respiratory tract. "Bright sunshine and heat kills the virus in the environment," Hagerman says, describing how summer weather helped end the earlier outbreak. "Generally, when the weather gets hot, influenza goes away for the most part," Hagerman says. It hasnt been confirmed definitively whether the sea lions are spreading the virus to each other or are contracting it from birds or H5N1-infected water. Months earlier, the bird flu outbreak drove the cost of turkey meat to record highs. People should avoid unprotected contact birds that look sick or have died, though the outbreak poses a low risk to the general public, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. said Jennifer Mullinax, assistant professor in the UMD Department of Environmental Science & Technology and a co-author of the study. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. 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. Wild birds like ducks transmit the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, through their feces, feathers or direct contact with poultry. Avian Influenza. They concluded that there is an urgent need for unprecedented coordination at a national and regional-scale to manage the spread of a disease reaching across jurisdictions and disciplines. One of the people infected in Cambodia, an 11-year-old girl, died from the illness. Avian flu is ravaging farmers and the markets. 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. 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. If you like to eat chicken, you're in luck. Have any problems using the site? 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 .

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