Skip to main content

Social Media #Memes and Early Public #Opinion #Formation Regarding Highly Pathogenic Avian #Influenza (HPAI) as a Public Health #Threat in the #USA

Image
By G.M.

 {Summary}

Misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories gain traction in times of uncertainty when little is known about a disease and when trust in government and public institutions is low. Amidst uncertainty, public health-related memes act as a sort of coping mechanism. Memes images, text, or video that serve as a shorthand form of communication—have the potential to spread quickly and widely on social media. While memes can be humorous, perhaps harmless, they can have serious effects at other times, as during the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing they have in common, however, is their transportability from user to user and platform to platform.  Frame analysis of Internet memes is useful for categorizing what we call frames of meaning in digital space. Unlike the agenda-setting function of mass media, in which gatekeepers (e.g., news editors) set the agenda regarding public issues, framing theory in the digital age is more dynamic, as content may take on different forms or formats, change over time, and the digital frame may traverse media platforms. Consumer-generated content (CGC) plays a significant role in setting the agenda or framing the event. Based onthe fluid nature of social networks and changes in the hierarchy of agenda setting, the model of connective action applied to public discourse on digital media can be visualized and analyzed through topic modeling to understand the role that memes play in shaping emergent public issues. In this study, we focused on memes shared in response to the current Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), specifically the H5N1 outbreak in the United States, to get a glimpse into the early stages of public opinion formation around a potential public health issue. We present this approach to study the situational awareness of this public health issue through analysis of memes as a form of public discourse and as a cost-effective tool for resource challenged public health agencies to scan the environment for emergent issues.

(...)

Source: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/article/social-media-memes-and-early-public-opinion-formation-regarding-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai-as-a-public-health-threat-in-the-united-states/5119C8A5DA2152D4392FC93BDCE575A8

_____

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#USA, Two more #human cases of #H5N1 #birdflu reported in #California

By G.M.
Two cases of bird flu have been reported in San Joaquin County, California, local health officials said. According to a press release issued Friday and reported by the Sacramento Bee , health officials with San Joaquin County Public Health Services said both cases were farm workers who were exposed to infected animals . Both people are showing mild symptoms and are recovering, officials said, adding that there are 34 total confirmed cases across California. In a warning posted on Facebook, health officials said bird flu was “spreading in several farms such as poultry and cattle” and urged residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. Precautions include the use of protective equipment when handling poultry, dairy cattle or other animals that may be infected, and when handling raw and unpasteurized milk. (...) There are currently 60 confirmed cases of bird flu in the country . While most of the cases are in California , other states with confirmed cases include Col...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Viral #sepsis: #diagnosis, clinical #features, #pathogenesis, and #clinical considerations

By G.M.
Abstract Sepsis , characterized as life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from dysregulated host responses to infection , remains a significant challenge in clinical practice . Despite advancements in understanding host-bacterial interactions , molecular responses, and therapeutic approaches, the mortality rate associated with sepsis has consistently ranged between 10 and 16%. This elevated mortality highlights critical gaps in our comprehension of sepsis etiology. Traditionally linked to bacterial and fungal pathogens, recent outbreaks of acute viral infections , including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV ), influenza virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ), among other regional epidemics, have underscored the role of viral pathogenesis in sepsis, particularly when critically ill patients exhibit classic symptoms indicative of sepsis. However, many cases of viral-induced sepsis are frequently underdiagnosed because standar...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Rapid #Surge of #Reassortant A(#H1N1) #Influenza Viruses in Danish #Swine and their #Zoonotic Potential

By G.M.
 Source: BioRxIV, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.11.627926v1?rss=1  Abstract In 2018, a single detection of a novel reassortant swine influenza A virus (swIAV) was made in Denmark . The hemagglutinin (HA) of the virus was from the H1N1 pandemic 2009 (H1N1pdm09) lineage and the neuraminidase (NA) from the H1N1 Eurasian avian-like swine lineage (H1N1av). By 2022, the novel reassortant virus (H1pdm09N1av) constituted 27 % of swIAVs identified through the Danish passive swIAV surveillance program. Sequencing detected two H1pdm09N1av genotypes ; Genotype 1 contained an internal gene cassette of H1N1pdm09 origin , Genotype 2 differed by carrying an NS gene segment of H1N1av origin . The internal gene cassette of Genotype 2 became increasingly dominant, not only in the H1pdm09N1av population, but also in other Danish enzootic swIAV subtypes . Phylogenetic analysis of the HA genes from H1pdm09N1av viruses revealed a monophyletic source , a higher substitution rat...
Post a Comment
Read more »