"Generally speaking, these complexes are over a million birds, easily," Hagerman says. Higher prices for eggs and poultry meat in the U.S. are one result. "Tragic though this case in Cambodia is, we expect there to be some cases of clinical disease with such a widespread infection. Human infections with bird flu viruses can happen when virus gets into a persons eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled. 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. There are two groups of AI viruses that cause disease in chickens: highly pathogenic AI and low pathogenic AI. "However, ducks can be infected without any signs of illness. APHIS is working closely with State partners on surveillance . By the end of December, more than 43 million egg-laying hens were lost to the disease itself or to depopulation since the . This particular A (H7N9) virus had not previously been seen in either animals or people until it was found in March 2013 in China. More than 60% of U.S. broiler . "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. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. The data show the progression of highly pathogenic H5N1 as it spread from Eurasia to the U.S. where it was first documented in late 2021. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015. 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. 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By contrast, humans experience influenza as a respiratory infection and spread it by breathing and coughing. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media. 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. 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 prepare for seasonal outbreaks, cull flocks to halt the spread of disease, and have nearly a full year to recover losses. Visit CDCs avian influenza (bird flu) information for health professional and laboratorians webpage for the latest guidance. Eggs on a shelf at Pioneer Supermarkets in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday. "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." Bird flu infections in people are rare, but possible. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has entered Southern California, driven by wild bird migration. 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. U.S. experts had been bracing for an outbreak, watching successful strains of the H5N1 influenza virus proliferate in Europe and elsewhere. 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. H5N1 is currently the most problematic strain of bird flu, with impacts that extend beyond poultry. If allowed to spread unfettered, the pathogen could evolve in such a way that makes it more devastating or harder to control. "Right now, it's like a kid in a candy store racing around," infecting bird populations, he says. "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. 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. In Iowa, two massive egg-laying operations had to cull more than 5 million birds in single incidents earlier this year. The virus that worries them is H5N1, a form of avian influenza, or bird flu. 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. 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. Viruses are notoriously quick to mutate. As of early April, the outbreak had caused the culling of some 23 million birds from Maine to Wyoming. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or "H" proteins, of which there . 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. Is it a vaccine? Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. One scientist said the variant is "wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before. Experts found the H5N1 Eurasian strain, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus type. 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. 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. The team also suggests that H5N1 will likely become endemic, potentially posing risks to food security and the economy. 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. However, since then, infections in both humans and birds have been observed. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. 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. How do we track it in wild birds? The new H5N1 strain has already killed over 58 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds, Reuters reported. Some strains, like the version of H5N1 that is currently spreading, are frequently. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. The more than 50,000 mink at the facility were killed and their carcasses destroyed. Many factors would have to be weighed before adopting vaccination as a strategy for controlling HPAI. Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious virus that affects all birds. 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. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters. *Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) are described in the Classification of bird flu viruses section. A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. 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. 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 . Infected poultry or eggs do not enter the food supply chain. Avian influenza A (H5N1) was first detected in the Region of the Americas in birds in December 2014. "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 viruses cause high mortality in poultry, and occasionally in some wild birds. This article was first published in The Conversation. 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. There are ongoing outbreaks of HPAI in wild birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. 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. In 2015, an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 in the U.S. led to the culling of 50 million poultry birds. Additional Information Return to top "Bright sunshine and heat kills the virus in the environment," Hagerman says, describing how summer weather helped end the earlier outbreak. The second reason for increased attention is that H5N1 is now infecting more bird and mammalian species than ever before. 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. He can be reached at Evan.Bush@nbcuni.com. That doesnt seem like much of a genetic obstacle. Egg prices have risen this year, as aggressive measures against avian influenza disrupted the U.S. industry. Influenza viruses are common among wild aquatic birds, which often show no symptoms despite being infected. 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. Thank you. 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.. Entire flocks, which can top a million birds at egg-laying chicken farms, are also culled to control the spread of the disease after a bird tests positive. The process is much like dealing with a human pandemic. 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. 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). 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.

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