Avian #flu reported in 108 countries across five #continents, says #UN health agency

In an update on the mutating virus - known as H5N1 – Dr. Madhur Dhingra from the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, said that it had “spilled over into wildlife”.

More than 500 bird species have been infected along with at least 70 mammalian species, including the endangered California condor and polar bears.

In regions that are heavily reliant on poultry as a primary source of protein, the FAO medic insisted that avian influenza “poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security”.

Economic damage

Dr Dhingra warned that hundreds of millions of people’s livelihoods have been affected by the virus – an economic burden on farmers that could prevent them from investing in adequate biosafety measures.

Following the emergence of H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cattle, the WHO has joined calls for strengthened surveillance and biosecurity on farms, to keep animals and people safe.

The UN health agency said that in 2024, 76 people have been infected with the H5 avian influenza strain, and most were farm workers. More than 60 cases originated in the US, which has also reported outbreaks of H5 in wildlife and poultry and, more recently, in dairy cattle.

There have also been cases reported in Australia, Canada, China, Cambodia and Viet Nam.

Low risk to humans – for now

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who currently serves as Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management for the WHO, said that based on the latest science, “we assess the risk of infection for the public – you and I – is currently low.”

But if you work on a farm, she cautioned – and are exposed to infected animals – “we assess the current public health risk to be low-to-moderate,” depending on the level of personal protection taken.

There is no evidence so far that the H5N1 viruses have adapted to spread between people and there has been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission.

No room for complacency

“We must remember, however, that this can change quickly,” the UN pandemic expert added, “as the virus is evolving and we must be prepared for such a scenario.”

Every case that occurs in humans must therefore be investigated thoroughly.

Dr. Van Kerkhove also stressed the importance of drinking pasturised milk – and if that’s not available, of heating milk before consumption.

“We want to reiterate the critical importance of using a One Health approach across sectors – globally, nationally, and sub-nationally - to tackle avian influenza effectively, to minimize the risk in animals and humans,” she concluded.

Source: United Nations, https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158286

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#Neuroinvasive #Oropouche virus in a patient with #HIV from extra-Amazonian #Brazil

{Excerpt} A novel reassortant Oropouche virus (OROV) lineage (with medium [M], large [L], and small [S] RNA segments : M1L2S2) has driven Brazil's largest and most geographically widespread OROV epidemic , expanding beyond the endemic Amazon basin to establish local transmission across multiple Brazilian states and other previously unaffected Latin American countries . The rapid spread of this lineage underscores its evolutionary potential and reinforces its significance as a public health threat .1 Similar to chikungunya and Zika viruses, expanding arboviruses can exhibit unexpected clinical and epidemiological shifts , including vertical transmissions , neuroinvasive effects, and potentially fatal outcomes.2–4 Although OROV typically causes self-limited febrile illness, accumulating clinical and experimental evidence suggests neurotropic potential .5 This Correspondence describes the first confirmed case of neuroinvasive OROV infection caused by the emergent M1L2S2 lineage in ext...

Stability of #influenza viruses in the #milk of #cows and #sheep

Abstract In late 2023, H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAIV) started circulating in dairy cattle in the USA . High viral titres were detected in milk from infected cows , raising concerns about onwards human infections . Although pasteurisation was shown to effectively inactivate influenza viruses in milk, unpasteurised milk still poses a risk of infection, both from occupational exposure in dairies and from the consumption of raw milk. We therefore assessed how long influenza viruses could remain infectious for in milk without heat inactivation. We examined the stability of a panel of influenza viruses in milk , including a contemporary H5N1 HPAIV and a variety of other influenza A and D viruses. We incubated viruses in cows' milk under laboratory conditions : at room temperature to simulate exposure in dairies and at 4°C to simulate exposure to refrigerated raw milk. Following an isolated report of H5N1 viral RNA being detected in milk from a sheep in the UK , we also c...

#Evidence of #Viremia in Dairy #Cows Naturally Infected with #Influenza A {#H5N1} Virus, #California, #USA

Abstract We confirmed influenza A virus (IAV) by PCR in serum from 18 cows on 3 affected dairy farms in California, USA . Our findings indicate the presence of viremia and might help explain IAV transmission dynamics and shedding patterns in cows. An understanding of those dynamics could enable development of IAV mitigation strategies. Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/7/25-0134_article ____

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