ETIDIOH - NEW

 {Excerpt} Exposure Source [ State - Exposure Associated with Commercial Agriculture and Related Operations: Dairy Herds (Cattle), Poultry Farms and Culling Operations - Other Animal Exposure† - Exposure Source Unknown‡ -  State Total ] 1) California -  36 - 0 - 0 - 1 -  37 {+1} 2) Colorado -  1 - 9 - 0 - 0 -  10 3) Iowa -  0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -  1 4) Louisiana -  0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -  1 5) Michigan -  2 - 0 - 0 - 0 -  2 6) Missouri -  0 - 0 - 0 - 1 -  1 7) Oregon -  0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -  1 8) Texas -  1 - 0 - 0 - 0 -  1 9) Washington -  0 - 11 - 0 - 0 -  11 10) Wisconsin -  0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -  1 -- Source Total -  40 - 23 - 1 - 2 -  66 {+1} NOTE : One additional case was previously detected in a poultry work...

{Excerpts} 27 December 2024 Situation at a glance This is an update to the Disease Outbreak News on Undiagnosed disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo published on 8 December 2024 (now named acute respiratory infections complicated by malaria).  It includes updated epidemiological investigation information and preliminary laboratory results.  On 29 November, an alert was raised by local health zone authorities of Panzi health zone in Kwango province after an increase in deaths , particularly among children under five years of age , following febrile illness .  Enhanced epidemiological surveillance was rapidly implemented, which in the absence of a clear diagnosis was based on the detection of syndromic cases of febrile illnesses with cough, body weakness, with one of a number of other symptoms compatible with acute respiratory and febrile illnesses.  This resulted in a rapid increase in the number of cases meeting the definition, with a total of 891 cases re...

{Excerpts} -- Five confirmed cases of influenza A(H5) were reported to CDC this week .  -- To date, human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) virus has not been identified in the United States . Three of these cases were reported by the California Department of Public Health. The cases occurred in workers aged ≥18 years at commercial dairy cattle farms in an area where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses had been detected in cows. The individuals had mild symptoms , which they reported to local health department officials. There have now been 37 total confirmed cases and one probable case in California during the 2024-2025 influenza season. One case was reported by the Wisconsin Department of Health. This case occurred in an individual aged ≥18 years who worked at a poultry facility where HPAI A(H5N1) virus had been identified in birds. This individual developed respiratory symptoms during Week 50 . Specimens were collected from the individual and initiall...

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epizootics have caused repeated mass mortality events among wild birds . The effect of the infection is potentially detrimental for a variety of bird species, including the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). The numbers of wintering and breeding Peregrine Falcons in the Netherlands have recently declined . We investigated the changes in population trends in relation to HPAI H5 virus outbreaks. For this purpose, we analyzed variations in annual numbers of wintering and breeding birds, the virology of reported dead birds, and the presence of the HPAI H5 virus in unhatched eggs. We showed that significant mortalities of Peregrine Falcons had occurred in 2016–2017 and 2020–2023 , years of major HPAI H5 virus outbreaks. In particular, the highest rates of bird mortality and HPAI virus infection were reported in 2023 . In this year, over 80% (28/32) of the tested birds were positive for HPAI H5 virus. No HPAI H5 virus was present in the egg...

{Excerpt} Time Period: December 15 - December 21, 2024 -- H5 Detection : 52 sites (17.4%) -- No Detection :  246 sites (82.6%) -- No samples in last week :  87 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html _____

Abstract The H3 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) stands out as one of the most prevalent subtypes, posing a significant threat to public health . In this study, a novel triple-reassortant H3N3 AIV designated A/chicken/China/16/2023 (H3N3), was isolated from a sick chicken in northern China . The complete genome of the isolate was determined using next-generation sequencing, and the AIV-like particles were confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed that HA and NA genes of the H3N3 isolate clustered within the Eurasian lineage of AIVs, exhibiting the closest genetic relationship with other H3N3 AIVs identified in China during 2023. Interestingly, the HA and NA genes of the nove H3N3 isolate were originated from H3N8 and H10N3 AIVs , respectively, and the six internal genes originated from prevalent H9N2 AIVs. These findings indicated the novel H3N3 isolate possesses a complex genetic constellation , likely arising from multiple reassor...

Abstract Clade 2.3.2.1 of the H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) evolved into several subclades. However, the effect of glycosylation on the biological characteristics of hemagglutinin (HA) and/or neuraminidase (NA) from H5N1 AIVs remains unclear. Here, we determined that the global prevalence of clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 AIVs with deglycosylated residue 158 on HA (HA158-) and glycosylated residue 88 on NA (NA88+) were predominant via multiple sequence analysis. The deglycosylation of residue on NA 88 (NA88-) was observed in clade 2.3.2.1a (new) and clade 2.3.2.1e H5N1 AIVs. Interestingly, NA88- was coupled with the acquisition of 158 glycosylation sites on HA (HA158+) in clade 2.3.2.1e H5N1 AIVs from China , and clade 2.3.2.1a (new) H5N1 AIVs exhibiting the HA158-NA88- pattern were predominant in Bangladesh . Meanwhile, the temporal distribution of strain HA158+ NA88- was highly consistent with the implementation of Re-6 vaccine in China . The recombinant H5N1 AIVs constructed using a reverse ...

The flu caused by the Influenza virus, associated with malaria on a ground of malnutrition, is the unknown disease that has been decimating the population in the health zone of Panzi, in the province of Kwango, for more than a month. This is what the diagnosis made by the INRB reveals after in-depth analyses.  The governor of Kwango province , Willy Bitwisila, officially declared on Wednesday night, December 5, this epidemic which has caused around thirty deaths and more than 400 cases in this part of the Kasongolunda territory. "This is the epidemic that is causing deaths in the previously unidentified Panzi health zone.  '' After a rigorous investigation , the results from the INRB laboratory have just confirmed that it is influenza caused by the Influenza AH1N1 virus, {rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, edited, in the article the terms are unreadable }, associated with malaria on the ground of malnutrition .  '' An epidemic that I am now officially declaring . I would ther...

Abstract As an avian influenza virus (AIV) panzootic is underway , the threat of a human pandemic is emerging . Infections among mammalian species in frequent contact with humans should be closely monitored. One mammalian family, the Felidae , is of particular concern. Domestic cats are susceptible to AIV infection and provide a potential pathway for zoonotic spillover to humans . Here, we provide a systematic review of the scientific literature to describe the epidemiology and global distribution of AIV infections in felines reported from 2004 – 2024. We identified 607 AIV infections in felines , including 302 associated deaths , comprising 18 countries and 12 felid species . We observed a drastic flux in the number of AIV infections among domestic cats in 2023 and 2024 , commensurate with the emergence of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. We estimate that this phenomenon is underreported in the scientific literature and argue that increased surveillance among domestic cats is urgently needed. Sou...

{Summary as of December 26 '24} What to know -- This guidance outlines CDC’s recommendations for preventing human exposures to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses and infection prevention and control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment, testing, antiviral treatment, patient investigations, monitoring of exposed persons , and antiviral chemoprophylaxis of exposed persons. Summary The purpose of this guidance is to outline CDC's recommendations for preventing exposures to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) viruses, infection prevention and control measures including the use of personal protective equipment, testing, antiviral treatment, patient investigations, monitoring of exposed persons (including persons exposed to sick or dead wild and domesticated animals and livestock with suspected or confirmed infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus), and antiviral chemoprophylaxis of exposed person...

What to know -- CDC has sequenced the influenza viruses in specimens collected from the patient in Louisiana who was infected with, and became severely ill from HPAI A(H5N1) virus.  -- The genomic sequences were compared to other HPAI A(H5N1) sequences from dairy cows, wild birds and poultry , as well as previous human cases and were identified as the D1.1 genotype .  -- The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in virus sequences from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection . Background This is a technical summary of an analysis of the genomic sequences of the viruses identified in two upper respiratory tract specimens from the patient who was severely ill from an infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus in Louisiana .  The patient was infected with A(H5N1) virus of the D1.1 ge...

Abstract Wild birds are important hosts of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and play an important role in their ecology. The emergence of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 H5N1 (Gs/GD) lineage marked a shift in IAV ecology, leading to recurrent outbreaks and mortality in wild birds from 2002 onwards. This lineage has evolved and diversified over time, with a recent important derivative being the 2.3.4.4b sub-lineage, which has caused significant mortality events in wild bird populations. An H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus was transmitted into North America from Eurasia in 2021, with the first detection being in Newfoundland and Labrador in Atlantic Canada , and this virus and its reassortants then spread broadly throughout North America and beyond. Following the first 2021 detection, there have been three additional known incursions of Eurasian-origin strains into Atlantic Canada, a second H5N1 strain in 2022 and two H5N5 strains in 2023 . In this study, we document a fifth incursion in Atlantic Canada...

Abstract Avian influenza A(H5N1) poses a public health risk due to its pandemic potential should the virus mutate to become human-to-human transmissible . To date, reported influenza A(H5N1) human cases have typically occurred in the lower respiratory tract with a high case fatality rate . There is prior evidence of some influenza A(H5N1) strains being a small number of amino acid mutations away from achieving droplet transmissibility , possibly allowing them to be spread between humans. We present a mechanistic within-host influenza A(H5N1) infection model, novel for its explicit consideration of the biological differences between the upper and lower respiratory tracts . We then estimate a distribution of viral lifespans and effective replication rates in human H5N1 influenza cases. By combining our within-host model with a viral mutation model, we determine the probability of an infected individual generating a droplet transmissible strain of influenza A(H5N1) through mutation. For t...

Abstract Increased evidence suggests that cattle are the primary host of Influenza D virus (IDV) and may contribute to respiratory disease in this species. The aim of this study was to detect and characterise IDV in the Swedish cattle population using archived respiratory samples. This retrospective study comprised a collection of a total 1763 samples collected between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2024. The samples were screened for IDV and other respiratory pathogens using real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (rRT-qPCR). Fifty-one IDV-positive samples were identified, with a mean cycle threshold (Ct) value of 27 (range: 15–37). Individual samples with a Ct value of <30 for IDV RNA were further analysed by deep sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by the maximum likelihood estimation method on the whole IDV genome sequence from 16 samples. The IDV strains collected in 2021 (n = 7) belonged to the D/OK clade , whereas samples from 2023 (n = 4) and 2024 (n = 5) co...

 {Excerpts} SACRAMENTO, the United States -- California's battle against avian influenza A (H5N1) intensified amid spreading infections across dairy farms and a growing number of human infection, including two newly confirmed cases in Stanislaus and Los Angeles counties. The virus, commonly known as bird flu , has infected 659 of California's 984 dairy operations since August, with one-quarter of these cases emerging in the past month alone, according to California authorities. The rapid spread through the state's dairy industry prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency last week to protect agricultural workers and public health. (...) The outbreak's human impact has grown increasingly severe , with California reporting at least 36 confirmed cases -- more than half of the nation's total of 65, according to the latest report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday, though the actual count is likely higher as recent local confirma...

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is alerting pet owners that samples of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food tested positive for a H5N1 strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus .  Testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ODVL) at Oregon State University confirmed a house cat in Washington County contracted H5N1 and died after consuming the raw frozen pet food .  Tests confirmed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat. “We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food ,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz.  “This cat was strictly an indoor cat ; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pe...

Abstract We previously reported that mice immunized twice with a lipid nanoparticle vaccine comprising four monkeypox viral mRNAs raised neutralizing antibodies and antigen-specific T cells and were protected against a lethal intranasal challenge with vaccinia virus (VACV). Here we demonstrated that the mRNA vaccine also protects mice against intranasal and intraperitoneal infections with monkeypox virus and bioluminescence imaging showed that vaccination greatly reduces or prevents VACV replication and spread from intranasal, rectal, and dermal inoculation sites. A single vaccination provided considerable protection that was enhanced by boosting for at least 4 months. Protection was related to the amount of mRNA inoculated, which correlated with neutralizing antibody levels . Furthermore, immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice lacking mature B and T cells that received serum from mRNA-immunized macaques before or after VACV challenge were protected. These findings provide insights i...

Summary   Beyond domestic poultry , influenza A( H5N1 ) of clade 2.3.4.4b has spread to almost all regions , infecting a wide range of wild birds, marine and terrestrial mammals , and recently, cattle in the United States of America . When an influenza virus is circulating in both avian and mammalian populations , the likelihood of spillover to humans and risk to public health may increase . The reported events of the influenza A(H5N1) virus among terrestrial and marine mammals in several countries, including the recent cases detected in the United States of America, have made it necessary to improve virus detection in cattle and other susceptible mammals and closely monitor virus evolution and adaptation to extraordinary hosts . These recommendations aim to support countries in planning surveillance for influenza A(H5N1) in cattle to enhance early detection , to generate evidence-based information to mitigate the impacts of spillover from birds to cattle, and to prevent transmissi...

 {Excerpt} {December 23 '24} The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed a human case of H5 bird flu in an adult who was exposed to livestock infected with H5 Bird flu at a worksite .  This is the first human case of H5 bird flu detected in LA County.  The person had mild symptoms , has been treated with antivirals , and is recovering at home .  The overall risk of H5 bird flu to the public remains low. There is currently no evidence of person to person spread of this virus.  Close contacts of the infected person and other workers exposed at the worksite are being monitored for symptoms and have been offered personal protective equipment, testing and antiviral prophylaxis .  No additional cases have been identified at this time.  Public Health is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on the ongoing investigation. “People rarely get bird flu, b...

{Abstract} Introduction :  The late autumn epizootic of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 in Serbia in 2023 caused massive mortality in the migratory population of common cranes (Grus Grus). This is the first time HPAIV has been identified in the common crane in Serbia, leading to mass mortality of this bird species. Methods :  To understand the pathological impact of HPAIV in cranes, we evaluated the pathological changes in the tissues of common cranes. Additionally, we report genomic characterization of HPAI/H5N1. In total, 14 juvenile common crane carcasses were examined. Results :  Infected birds primarily exhibited neurologic signs , including ataxia and incoordination. Grossly, necrotizing pancreatitis was the most common finding, while microscopic lesions included necrosis, inflammation and hemorrhages in the lungs, spleen, brain, liver and kidneys . Based on RT-PCR, all birds were infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus, as viral RNA was d...