Skip to main content

#Biosecurity uptake and perceived #risk of avian #influenza among people in #contact with #birds in the #UK

Image
By G.M.

Abstract

Recent intercontinental spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) among kept and wild birds and transmission to mammalian hosts, including cattle and humans has heightened the need to review public health risk assessments. Biosecurity is essential for limiting disease spread, but how widely practices are implemented is not fully known. Here, we report on the uptake of biosecurity measures using questionnaire data collected in 2024 from people in contact with birds in the UK (Avian Contact Study). Almost half of the sample were poultry farmers (104/225). We found hand washing after contact with birds was the most common biosecurity measure implemented (89%, 196/218), followed by using disinfecting footwear dips (78%, 170/218). Individuals in contact with a higher number of birds were more likely to use at least one PPE measure for the face or body (χ^2 (1, n=217) = 32.452, p<0.001) or at least one footwear-related PPE measure (Df=1, n=217, p<0.001), indicating the increasing number of birds as a likely proxy for farming practice, given the skewed poultry farmer sample. The perceived risk of avian influenza to the health of birds was generally high for individuals in contact with large flocks (≥1001 birds) and was associated with uptake of at least one footwear-related PPE measure (χ^2 (1, n=185)= 9.171, p=0.002). The risk to human health was not associated with any biosecurity measure. These results suggest that routinely used biosecurity measures are implemented to limit disease spread among birds, but not with the primary view to limit zoonotic transmission from birds to humans. Future work should investigate attitudes towards avian influenza and biosecurity in larger sample sizes across varying populations to guide zoonotic influenza policy and inform targeted interventions.

Source: MedRxIV, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.25326059v1

____

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

By G.M.
{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...
Post a Comment
Read more »

No evidence of immune #exhaustion after repeated #SARS-CoV-2 #vaccination in vulnerable and healthy populations

By G.M.
Abstract Frequent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in vulnerable populations has raised concerns that this may contribute to T cell exhaustion , which could negatively affect the quality of immune protection. Herein, we examined the impact of repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on T cell phenotypic and functional exhaustion in frail older adults in long-term care (n = 23), individuals on immunosuppressive drugs (n = 10), and healthy adults (n = 43), in Canada . Spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels did not decline in any cohort following repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, nor did the expression of exhaustion markers on spike-specific or total T cells increase. T cell production of multiple cytokines (i.e. polyfunctionality) in response to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 did not decline in any cohort following repeated vaccination. None of the cohorts displayed elevated levels of terminally differentiated T cells following multiple SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Thus, repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Chimeric #hemagglutinin and #M2 #mRNA #vaccine for broad #influenza subtype protection

By G.M.
Abstract Since multiple and unpredicted influenza viruses cause seasonal epidemics and even high-risk pandemics , developing a universal influenza vaccine is essential to provide broad protection against various influenza subtypes. Combined with the mRNA lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated (mRNA-LNP) vaccine platform and chimeric immunogen strategy , we developed a novel cocktail mRNA vaccine encoding chimeric HAs (cH5/1-BV, cH7/3) and intact M2 (termed Fluaxe), which confers broad protection against major circulating IAVs and IBVs , as well as highly pathogenic avian influenza . Two-dose intramuscular immunization of Fluaxe in mice elicited cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies , T cell responses, and long-lived immunity, resulting in robust protection against multiple lethal influenza virus infections and severe acute lung injuries . In particular, intramuscular administration stimulated systemic immunity together with a prominent lung tropism of memory cells . Moreover, Fluaxe immuniza...
Post a Comment
Read more »