avian flu outbreak

Avian Influenza | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - FWS.gov It's the worst toll on the poultry industry since 2014-2015, when more than 50 million birds died. An outbreak of avian influenza in seabirds in the Gambia could affect vast numbers of birds migrating along the East Atlantic Flyway, unless international funding is secured, warn conservationists. "However, ducks can be infected without any signs of illness. But the calculations might change if the virus is determined to be endemic in wild birds or in a geographic area. "This paper illustrates how unprecedented it is, and describes what we think is coming. A new deadly bird flu is infecting wild birds and may not go away - NPR What a Bird Flu Outbreak Among Mink Could Mean for Humans Avoid direct contact with wild birds and observe them only from a distance, if possible. 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. Bird flu is transmitted mainly by wild birds, like these snow geese. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza USDA has publicly posted the genetic sequences of several of recently detected H5N1 bird flu viruses found in U.S. wild birds and poultry. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters. Most cases of human infection have been in Southeast Asia, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The worst outbreak of avian influenza on record is threatening to stretch into a second year, as the U.S. races to contain a virus that has already caused some food prices to soar amid a shortage . Heres the key question: If H5N1 can achieve spread in minks and possibly sea lions, why not humans? Yuko Sato, an associate professor of veterinary medicine who works with poultry producers, explains why so many birds are getting sick and whether the outbreak threatens human health. As those birds traveled, so did the virus. 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. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. Thats how the virus can go from Asia to Europe to North America all the way around the world, He said. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or "H" proteins, of which there . Since December 2021, 11 human cases of H5N1 have been reported globally. Email address is optional. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. 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. Scientists are monitoring avian flu and other pathogens in animals more closely than. As H5N1 infects more species, it also increases its geographical range and produces more viral variants that could have new biological properties. Higher prices for eggs and poultry meat in the U.S. are one result. Here, eggs sit on a supermarket shelf in San Mateo County, Calif. What you need to know about the avian influenza outbreak However, outbreaks in domestic commercial and backyard poultry flocks, in addition to infections in wild birds and some mammals, might place some groups of people, who may have job-related or recreational exposures to birds, at higher risk of infection. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. 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 article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 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. Learn what to do if you have contact with infected birds and become sick. Record avian flu outbreak is threatening North America's - Science The CDC states that like any poultry or eggs, heating food to an internal temperature of 165F kills any bacteria and viruses present, including HPAI viruses. Farmers can take steps to make their flock more biosecure, such as preventing birds and their feed from being exposed to wild birds. Birds experience influenza as a gastrointestinal infection and spread flu predominantly through defecating in water. Globally since 2003, countries have reported rare, sporadic human infections with H5N1 bird flu viruses to the World Health Organization (WHO). April 14, 2023. The USDA recommends cooking eggs and poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). That includes millions of chickens and turkeys in barns and backyards that had been raised to provide eggs or meat. More reports poured in over the following weeks and months, raising alarms as the virus spread to more states. The good news about H5N1 for humans is that it currently doesnt spread well between people. 'Pandemic potential': bird flu outbreaks fuelling chance of human 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. 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. If you like to eat chicken, you're in luck. Farmers struggled to keep the disease and wild birds out of their barns after increasing security and cleaning measures following the 2015 outbreak. It is true that the farmed minks were confined in close quarters, like chickens on a poultry farm, so that may have contributed. . An outbreak in Israel where 40,000 common cranes were gathered killed 8,000 of them in a matter of weeks. The Biden administration is considering vaccinating farmed poultry flocks, but the logistics could be quite complicated. There have been relatively few human infections detected fewer than 900 documented globally over several decades but about half of those infected individuals have died. "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. 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 . > Subscribe Free to Email Digest, New research suggests that lonely individuals process the world differently than their peers, regardless of their social network size, potentially contributing to their feelings of. U.S. Approaches Record Number of Avian Influenza Outbreaks hide caption. 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. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has not led to continued spread among people. Introduction of the Eurasian lineage HPAI to North . 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. Avian flu is ravaging farmers and the markets. The latest outbreak of avian flu may have also shifted to a year-round disease from a more seasonal disease in previous outbreaks. This means that the virus is well adapted to them, and these birds do not typically get sick when they are infected with it. 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. And if the outbreak lingers into spring, infections could become even more difficult to prevent as a new wave of bird migrations begin. 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.. An avian influenza outbreak has been detected in the West African nations of Senegal and The Gambia. Better known as the bird flu, avian influenza is a group of flu viruses that is well adapted to birds. 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. Outbreaks have become more common due to the high density and frequent movement of flocks from intensive poultry production. Ultimately, the USDAs goal is to eradicate HPAI quickly after it is detected. H5N1 spread very efficiently between the minks and caused clinical signs of illness and death in the mink populations where it was detected. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. What are the triggers for different actions, and how do we measure if we're succeeding? The virus of concern in this outbreak is a Eurasian H5N1 HPAI virus that causes high mortality and severe clinical signs in domesticated poultry. ", Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zoos across North America are moving birds indoors to protect them from avian flu, Bird flu outbreak drives Nebraska to cull 1.8 million more chickens, Bald eagles around the U.S. are contracting the bird flu. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics Sporadic human cases of H5N1 reported with H5N1 viruses circulating in birds since 2021 have occurred following exposure to infected poultry. Bird flu infections in people are rare, but possible. Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, NOW WATCH: Why raccoons are so hard to get rid of, according to the World Health Organization, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Insider's George Glover explained the egg crisis facing Americans as prices surged by almost 60% in 2022 due to the influenza outbreak. 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 . Outbreaks have had a devastating impact on poultry farmers, who are often forced to cull entire flocks in case of infection to stop the disease from spreading.

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