ETIDIOH - NEW

{Excerpt} The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has detected the first presumptive positive human case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1), also known as bird flu, in Barron County . The human case follows an infected flock of commercial poultry identified in Barron County. The person had exposure to the infected flock . The case was identified through testing at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene (WSLH) and is pending confirmation at CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). DHS, in coordination with Barron County Health and Human Services, is monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed to the virus and has provided them with information to protect their health. The risk to the general public in Wisconsin remains low. People who work with infected animals, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk. (...) Source: Department of Health,  https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/releases/121824.htm ____

December 18, 2024-- A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ("H5N1 bird flu") infection in Louisiana.  This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13.  Since April 2024, there have been a total of 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States. Partial viral genome data of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that infected the patient in Louisiana indicates that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada , and Washington state . This H5N1 bird flu genotype is different than the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, sporadic human cases in multiple states, and some poultry outbreaks in the United States. Additional genomic sequencin...

 {Excerpt} Abstract   Between 21 September and 6 December 2024 , 657 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) and A(H5N5) virus detections were reported in domestic (341) and wild (316) birds across 27 countries in Europe . Many HPAI outbreaks in domestic birds were clustered in areas with high poultry density and characterised by secondary farm-to-farm spread . Waterfowl , particularly the mute swan , were primarily affected during this reporting period, with HPAI virus detections focused on south-eastern Europe . Notably, A(H5N5) viruses expanded their geographic and host range, resulting in a surge in detections and mortality events described in gulls and crows . No new HPAI virus detections in mammals were reported in Europe during this reporting period, but the number of dairy cattle farms reportedly affected in the United States of America (USA) rose to > 800 in 16 States, and HPAI virus was identified in two pigs in a mixed-species farm. Between 21 September ...

Abstract Using a prion amplification assay , we identified prions in tissues from wild pigs (Sus scrofa) living in areas of the United States with variable chronic wasting disease (CWD) epidemiology . Our findings indicate that scavenging swine could play a role in disseminating CWD and could therefore influence its epidemiology, geographic distribution, and interspecies spread. Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal,  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-0401_article ____