Experts found the H5N1 Eurasian strain, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus type. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning that they causes no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry. "So, yes, we certainly saw an increase in turkey prices in this holiday season," Hagerman says, "but not as much as we might have anticipated given the extent of this outbreak.". "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." H5N1 bird flu - should we be worried? | World Economic Forum One fear, says Thijs Kuiken, an avian influenza expert at Erasmus University Rotterdam, is that H5N1 will spread south of the U.S. border. Scientists who monitor wild bird flocks have also detected a reassortant virus that contains genes from both the Eurasian H5 and low pathogenic North American viruses. The U.S. is enduring an unprecedented poultry health disaster, with a highly contagious bird flu virus triggering the deaths of some 52.7 million animals. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to public health from this outbreak is low. Experts are concerned that a new global disease outbreak, possibly worse than Covid-19, might begin any day. 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. As these birds migrate, crisscrossing continents and oceans, they can carry the virus with them. An outbreak in Israel where 40,000 common cranes were gathered killed 8,000 of them in a matter of weeks. "This high pathogenic virus is wiping out everything in numbers that we've never seen before," Mullinax said. Farms there are likely to be more vulnerable. The new H5N1 strain has already killed over 58 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds, Reuters reported. CDCand USDA have developed guidance for specific audiences, including the, A handout containing information and guidance for people exposed to birds with bird flu is available at, More information about how to protect yourself against bird flu is. "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. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. But humans also live in high densities in many cities around the world, providing the virus similar tinder should a human-compatible variant arise. Reports are seasonal, with a peak in February and a low point in September. ScienceDaily. Over the centuries, some of these avian influenza viruses have been passed from birds to humans and other mammalian species, although this is a relatively rare event. CDC does not currently recommend any travel restrictions related to bird flu to countries affected by bird flu in poultry or people. This webpage will be updated at 2 PM EST each Wednesday to reflect any new data posted in the previous week. 'Incredibly concerning': Bird flu outbreak at Spanish mink farm "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. 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. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. All Rights Reserved. "Just a lot . Many factors would have to be weighed before adopting vaccination as a strategy for controlling HPAI. 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. Questions? Sign up for notifications from Insider! Once that happens, entire flocks typically need to be culled. 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. What is the World Economic Forum doing about fighting pandemics? Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media. More than 40 million egg-laying hens have been culled in the U.S. alone, making it the worst outbreak on record. Visit CDC's avian influenza (bird flu) information for health professional and laboratorians webpage for the latest guidance. Do we test the water or the soil? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "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. HPAI is a transboundary disease, which means it is highly contagious and spreads rapidly across national borders. As those birds traveled, so did the virus. Currently, the risk to humans remains low; however, sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred. hide caption. ScienceDaily, 19 April 2023. The virus is highly pathogenic to birds, meaning that infections often cause extreme symptoms, including death. "Tragic though this case in Cambodia is, we expect there to be some cases of clinical disease with such a widespread infection. In addition, more than 58 million domestic poultry were infected or had to be culled to limit the spread of infection in the U.S. and 7 million in Canada. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics 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. People with job-related or recreational exposures to birds or infected mammals should take. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza 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.. "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 . You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. University of Maryland. Yuko Sato, The Conversation .chakra .wef-10kdnp0{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;}What is the World Economic Forum doing about fighting pandemics? Content on this website is for information only. Monthly case counts are available on the. Since December 2021, 11 human cases of H5N1 have been reported globally. 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. A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. Many virologists are concerned that this virus could spill over to humans and cause a new . A new deadly bird flu is infecting wild birds and may not go away - NPR In Iowa, two massive egg-laying operations had to cull more than 5 million birds in single incidents earlier this year. 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. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. US egg factory roasts alive 5.3m chickens in avian flu cull - then 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. It was H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. But the calculations might change if the virus is determined to be endemic in wild birds or in a geographic area. As of early April, the outbreak had caused the culling of some 23 million birds from Maine to Wyoming. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. Avoid contact with wild or domestic birds that appear ill or have died and call to report sick or dead birds. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Current U.S. Bird Flu Situation in Humans. 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. Now that the virus is here, it shows no sign of going away. . However, sometimes a flu virus can acquire mutations that allow it to infect cells in a different part of the body. "We've been dealing with low pathogenic avian influenza for decades in the poultry industry, but this is different." The USDA recommends cooking eggs and poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). A certain viral variant that arose in 2020, called H5N1 2.3.4.4b, is driving this outbreak. 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 highly pathogenic avian influenza has been spreading in the U.S., making headlines as the price of eggs soared at the start of the year and fears of the next zoonotic pandemic creep into popular media. "You can think of that like an omicron variant" because of its wide prevalence, Webby says. The latest outbreak of avian flu may have also shifted to a year-round disease from a more seasonal disease in previous outbreaks. If allowed to spread unfettered, the pathogen could evolve in such a way that makes it more devastating or harder to control. 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. The good news about H5N1 for humans is that it currently doesnt spread well between people. "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. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Avian bird flu outbreak: What to know about H5N1 symptoms and vaccines 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 . You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. 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. 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. 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. Many migrating birds are not sickened by bird flu, which means its not well understood just how widespread it is in the wild, Lorenzoni added. Current U.S. Bird Flu Situation in Humans | Avian Influenza (Flu) - CDC Well, whod have thought it? This particular A (H7N9) virus had not previously been seen in either animals or people until it was found in March 2013 in China. Where do we direct our funds for maximum benefit? 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. One scientist said the variant is "wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before. Learn more. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Avian flu outbreak wipes out record 50.54 million U.S. birds - NBC News ", The long outbreak is discouraging, Hagerman says: "If we look at Europe, we can see that they are on two years of HPAI outbreaks. 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 H5N1 avian influenza virus is causing the largest bird flu outbreak in history, infecting millions of birds and a growing range of mammal species. And we now have the highest amount of poultry loss to avian influenza, so this is a worst-case scenario," she added. Left: Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. U.S. experts had been bracing for an outbreak, watching successful strains of the H5N1 influenza virus proliferate in Europe and elsewhere. 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. But when you actually go on the inside and take a look, the viruses we have here are quite different now from what was in Europe.". 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. Europe and Britain are also suffering their worst avian-flu crises, and some British supermarketsrationed customers eggpurchases after the outbreak disrupted supplies. Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images 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. 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. What you need to know about the avian influenza outbreak The 2015 avian flu outbreak generally happened in the fall, when . Avian influenza A (H5N1) was first detected in the Region of the Americas in birds in December 2014. 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. Which cells influenza infects is partially dictated by the specific receptor that it binds. Record avian flu outbreak is threatening North America's - Science www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230419125054.htm (accessed April 30, 2023). Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. "For whatever reason, turkeys and layer birds tend to be more susceptible" to the virus, says Amy Hagerman, an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University who specializes in agricultural economics. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) has led to over 23 million bird deaths in 24 states. That earlier outbreak also started in the winter but while that ordeal was over by the following June, the current outbreak lasted through the summer and has surged anew. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has entered Southern California, driven by wild bird migration. Local weather conditions also influence how the virus spreads. "That gave us a really powerful . Thank you. HPAI caused high mortality in poultry, but infections were sporadic and contained. There are also concerns that the virus could mutate as it continues to spread or infect other animals. IE 11 is not supported. USDA APHIS | Avian Influenza Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, drove the cost of turkey meat to record highs. No, thats not necessary. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Because H5N1 doesnt spread well between people, and because direct infection of humans by infected birds is still relatively rare, H5N1 has not yet erupted into a human epidemic or pandemic. No human illnesses have been associated with this virus in North America. The virus does not pose a special risk in the nation's food supply, given proper handling. Avian Influenza. Sporadic human cases of H5N1 reported with H5N1 viruses circulating in birds since 2021 have occurred following exposure to infected poultry. This graphic shows how bird flu viruses can spread between infected birds and people. The spread is much more complex than what we normally predict, Kuchipudi said. The process is much like dealing with a human pandemic. Speaking about this death to AP, James Wood, the head of the department of veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, said there is no reason to be unduly concerned about human infection with bird flu. There are only a small handful of examples of human-to-human spread. U.S. Approaches Record Number of Avian Influenza Outbreaks Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. A truck drives out the entrance of the Cold Springs Eggs Farm where the presence of avian influenza was reported to be discovered, forcing the commercial egg producer to destroy nearly 3 million chickens on March 24, 2022 near Palmyra, Wisconsin. APHIS is working closely with State partners on surveillance . In 2015, an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 in the U.S. led to the culling of 50 million poultry birds. 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. 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 . Comparing information about these newer viruses to previously circulating H5N1 bird flu viruses helps inform the human health risk assessment. The virus of concern in this outbreak is a Eurasian H5N1 HPAI virus that causes high mortality and severe clinical signs in domesticated poultry. 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. In late 2022, mammal-to-mammal spread occurred in Spain in farmed minks. The team also suggests that H5N1 will likely become endemic, potentially posing risks to food security and the economy. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. 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). The unprecedented spread of disease and 2022's high inflation rates raising farmers' costs caused the jump and it doesn't look like it will change soon. April 24, 2023. The more than 50,000 mink at the facility were killed and their carcasses destroyed. 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. Vaccination also could delay outbreak detection, since it can potentially hide non-apparent infections in infected birds. "Generally, when the weather gets hot, influenza goes away for the most part," Hagerman says. WASHINGTON The Biden administration, keeping a watchful eye on an outbreak of avian influenza that has led to the deaths of tens of millions of chickens and is driving up the . USDA ERS - Chart Detail 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Avian influenza - Wikipedia All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. H5N1 is a specific type of influenza virus, predominantly harbored by birds, that was first detected on a goose farm in China in 1996. Right now, the H5N1 bird flu situation remains primarily an animal health issue. Read the original article. Yuko Sato is an associate professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University. Many people are concerned about the 2022-2023 outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, that is affecting domestic poultry, waterfowl, raptors, and some shorebirds in the U.S. and Canada. Total case counts for all human infections with H5N1 viruses reported since 1997 are. Thus, to become efficient at infecting humans, H5N1 would likely need to mutate to use a2,6-linked sialic acid as its receptor. Avian flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the intestine, while human flu viruses have evolved to infect cells of the respiratory tract. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 3 things the world is doing to prepare for the next pandemic, The world needs a COP-like process for pandemic preparedness. The worst bird-flu outbreak in US history is 'wiping out everything in Outbreaks have become more common due to the high density and frequent movement of flocks from intensive poultry production. Get the latest science news in your RSS reader with ScienceDaily's hourly updated newsfeeds, covering hundreds of topics: Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks: Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. 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. One reason for this is that using vaccines would potentially affect international trade and poultry exports. Bird flu outbreak spreads across West African migratory route The virus that worries them is H5N1, a form of avian influenza, or bird flu. 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. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or "H" proteins, of which there . 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 of eggs. The USDAs Defend the Flock Program includes, for instance, information on biosecurity measures and how to spot signs of illness. H5N1 spread very efficiently between the minks and caused clinical signs of illness and death in the mink populations where it was detected. The primary natural hosts and reservoir of AI viruses are wild waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. The patient recovered after experiencing a few days of fatigue. You can review and change the way we collect information below. 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