avian flu outbreak

Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. hide caption. Experts are concerned that a new global disease outbreak, possibly worse than Covid-19, might begin any day. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-healthdisasterto date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He can be reached at Evan.Bush@nbcuni.com. The good news about H5N1 for humans is that it currently doesnt spread well between people. Though experts have said the virus rarely infects humans, HPAI has been detected in mammals such as skunks, raccoons, harbor seals, red foxes and bears, according to the USDA. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Sea lions in Peru are also succumbing to H5N1 virus in massive numbers. How bad is the outbreak? Where remote jobs are growing fastest - 4 charts show the locations and sectors, Understanding the impact of COVID-19 supply disruptions on exporters in global value chains, Laura Lebastard, Marco Matani and Roberta Serafini, How the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in advanced economies, Florence Jaumotte, Myrto Oikonomou, Carlo Pizzinelli and Marina M. Tavares, The pandemic made us nicer and the change might be lasting, Charted: The happiest countries in the world, is affecting economies, industries and global issues, with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale. No known human-to-human spread has occurred with the A(H5N1) virus that is currently circulating in birds in the United States and globally. The virus transmits very, very rapidly within the flock, so even if birds dont appear sick, they will eventually die very soon, Lorenzoni said. But lab tests soon revealed something scarier: a deadly avian influenza virus named H5N1. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. "So, yes, we certainly saw an increase in turkey prices in this holiday season," Hagerman says, "but not as much as we might have anticipated given the extent of this outbreak.". At least 50.54 million birds have died this year from the Avian flu, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.. Why it matters: This represents the highest amount of deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds since 50.5 million died from an outbreak in 2015, according to Reuters. "Unlike H5N8, this disease is heavily impacting wild birds," said Johanna Harvey, a postdoctoral researcher at UMD and lead author of the study. Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response. Avoid contact with wild or domestic birds that appear ill or have died and call to report sick or dead birds. The bird flu surge has also . Most people who have contracted H5N1 have gotten it directly from interacting with infected poultry specifically chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, which often are raised in close quarters on large commercial farms. One fear, says Thijs Kuiken, an avian influenza expert at Erasmus University Rotterdam, is that H5N1 will spread south of the U.S. border. But this new virus appears sustained throughout the year, with summertime disease detections in wild birds and poultry outbreaks occurring in both the spring and fall. "You can think of that like an omicron variant" because of its wide prevalence, Webby says. In the U.S. the virus has led to the destruction of millions of commercially raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, and has killed thousands of wild birds.. Better known as the bird flu, avian influenza is a group of flu viruses that is well adapted to birds. The Powers Farm white turkey flock is seen under shelter as part of an effort to prevent exposure to avian influenza on Nov. 14, 2022 in Townsend, Del. The team also suggests that H5N1 will likely become endemic, potentially posing risks to food security and the economy. Monthly case counts are available on the. 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"Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." Last week, the US government started testing four new bird-flu vaccines to try and protect the poultry from this mass outbreak, Reuters reported. Over the centuries, some of these avian influenza viruses have been passed from birds to humans and other mammalian species, although this is a relatively rare event. Additional Information Return to top Wild birds like ducks transmit the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, through their feces, feathers or direct contact with poultry. It has . And while the risk of the virus spilling over into humans remains low, scientists say communities will feel the consequences of such a serious and lengthy outbreak for months to come. These decisions have to be made on multiple scales.". Avian influenza viruses are classified as either "low pathogenic" or "highly pathogenic" based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that started in 2021 has become the largest bird flu outbreak in history, both in the U.S. and worldwide. However, sometimes a flu virus can acquire mutations that allow it to infect cells in a different part of the body. The viruses are from clade 2.3.4.4b,** which is the most common H5N1 bird flu virus worldwide at this time. The primary natural hosts and reservoir of AI viruses are wild waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. Suresh Kuchipudi, the interim director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, said three animal testing laboratories in Pennsylvania are processing several thousand samples each week. And if the outbreak lingers into spring, infections could become even more difficult to prevent as a new wave of bird migrations begin. Previous outbreaks of avian influenza -- whether low pathogenic virus that is endemic in the U.S. or highly pathogenic H5N8 in 2015 -- typically occurred in the fall, which meant farmers could . Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. Though most cases were detected in Oregon, positive . Avian influenza, also known as avian flu, is a bird flu caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect people. Ultimately, the USDAs goal is to eradicate HPAI quickly after it is detected. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 3 things the world is doing to prepare for the next pandemic, The world needs a COP-like process for pandemic preparedness. Previous outbreaks of avian influenza -- whether low pathogenic virus that is endemic in the U.S. or highly pathogenic H5N8 in 2015 -- typically occurred in the fall, which meant farmers could prepare for seasonal outbreaks, cull flocks to halt the spread of disease, and have nearly a full year to recover losses. University of Maryland. Eggs on a shelf at Pioneer Supermarkets in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday. H5N1 is currently the most problematic strain of bird flu, with impacts that extend beyond poultry. The presence of the virus in the commercial food chain raises a number of possible trade headaches but so would using a vaccine to fight it. Infected poultry or eggs do not enter the food supply chain. Human infections with bird flu viruses have most often occurred after close or lengthy unprotected contact (i.e., not wearing gloves or respiratory protection or eye protection) with infected birds or places that sick birds or their saliva, mucous and feces have touched. CDC has been comparing the properties of current H5N1 bird flu viruses to past H5N1 bird flu viruses and has found that current H5N1 bird flu viruses detected in the U.S. during late 2021 and 2022 are different from earlier H5N1 bird flu viruses. A key part of the challenge, Webby says, is that like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the avian flu virus has spun off several variants of concern. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has not led to continued spread among people. . Saving Lives, Protecting People, Current U.S. Bird Flu Situation in Humans. But the calculations might change if the virus is determined to be endemic in wild birds or in a geographic area. Saving Lives, Protecting People, 1 case in U.S. after exposure to infected birds, Human Infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in Chile, Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(H3N8) Virus Reported by China, Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses, If you have contact with infected birds and become sick, Clinician, laboratorian or public health worker, Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Timeline 2020-2023, Avian Influenza: Information for Health Professionals and Laboratorians, USDA: Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, USDA: Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses (cdc.gov), Human Infection With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Chile (cdc.gov), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Wild Birds, Bird Flu Detections Reporting in Backyard and Commercial Birds, Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Influenza, Spread of Bird Flu Viruses Between Animals and People, Past Examples of Probable Limited, Non-Sustained, Person-to-Person Spread of Avian Influenza A Viruses, Reported Human Infections with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Information for People Exposed to Birds Infected with Avian Influenza Viruses of Public Health Concern, Recommendations for Worker Protection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Self-Observation Instructions for Demobilizing Bird Flu Responders, Highlights in the History of Avian Influenza, Questions & Answers: H5N1 Genetic Change Inventory, Interim Guidance on Testing, Specimen Collection, and Processing for Patients with Suspected Infection with Novel Influenza A Viruses with the Potential to Cause Severe Disease in Humans, Diagnostics for Detecting H7N9 Using rRT-PCR, Infection Control Within Healthcare Settings for Patients with Novel Influenza A Viruses, For Clinicians: Evaluating and Managing Patients, Use of Antiviral Medications for Treatment of Human Infections with Novel Influenza A Viruses, Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis of Persons Exposed to Birds with Avian Influenza A Viruses, Follow-up of Close Contacts of Persons Infected with Novel Influenza A Viruses and Use of Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. For more information about prevention, especially for people who keep domesticated birds or are bird-watching hobbyists, the Centers for Disease Control has a list of guidelines for avoiding H5N1 and other bird flu viruses. However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. The latest outbreak of avian flu may have also shifted to a year-round disease from a more seasonal disease in previous outbreaks. Scientists are monitoring avian flu and other pathogens in animals more closely than. Europe and Britain are also suffering their worst avian-flu crises, and some British supermarketsrationed customers eggpurchases after the outbreak disrupted supplies. "Bright sunshine and heat kills the virus in the environment," Hagerman says, describing how summer weather helped end the earlier outbreak. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Egg prices have risen this year, as aggressive measures against avian influenza disrupted the U.S. industry. Some birds have died from the disease itself, but the vast majority are being culled through flock "depopulation," to try to stop the virus from spreading. Caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu, conservationists working in the area are now . 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This version of the influenza virus doesn't affect "broilers" chickens raised for meat as badly it does "layers" table-egg laying hens and turkeys. "Wild birds are the perfect mechanism to spread a virus because they, of course, fly everywhere," he adds. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Some research indicates that detection of HPAI viruses in wild birds has become more common. Most cases of human infection have been in Southeast Asia, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPAI is a transboundary disease, which means it is highly contagious and spreads rapidly across national borders. However, CDC is watching this situation closely and taking routine preparedness and prevention measures in case this virus changes to pose a greater human health risk. H5N1 is a specific type of influenza virus, predominantly harbored by birds, that was first detected on a goose farm in China in 1996. Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and wild birds (especially waterfowl). Instead, the virus sort of simmered through the summer months, she adds, "and then we get into the cooler, wetter months of the fall and we see a resurgence. There are two groups of AI viruses that cause disease in chickens: highly pathogenic AI and low pathogenic AI. By October 2022, the disease had resulted in 31 reported wild bird mass mortalities, accounting for an estimated 33,504 wild bird detections in the U.S. and Canada. But scientists didn't know until the recent outbreak how infected condors would fare. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. *Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) are described in the Classification of bird flu viruses section. Farms there are likely to be more vulnerable. Globally since 2003, countries have reported rare, sporadic human infections with H5N1 bird flu viruses to the World Health Organization (WHO). Bird flu is transmitted mainly by wild birds, like these snow geese. Though human infection is currently rare, efficient transmission between farmed minks in Spain raises concerns about potential human transmission. ", The long outbreak is discouraging, Hagerman says: "If we look at Europe, we can see that they are on two years of HPAI outbreaks. The research team recommends a management approach based on a method called Structured Decision-Making, which follows a specific process of identifying and bringing together relevant individuals with an interest, expertise or stake in an issue, distinguishing the unknown from the known factors and establishing measurable goals and actions with quantifiable results. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Importers would not be able to distinguish vaccinated birds from infected birds based on the routine testing, so they might ban all U.S. poultry exports. **Clades are described in the Classification of bird flu viruses section. CHICAGO Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the countrys deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Thursday. Hagerman warns that in a time of inflationary pressure and supply-chain snags, it can be hard to directly link a price hike to the virus. Avian influenza vaccines can reduce clinical signs, sickness and death rates in domestic poultry, but they would not prevent birds from becoming infected with the virus. Entire flocks, which can top a million birds at egg-laying chicken farms, are also culled to control the spread of the disease after a bird tests positive. Then the site is decontaminated. Influenza viruses are common among wild aquatic birds, which often show no symptoms despite being infected. Many people are concerned about the 2022-2023 outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, that is affecting domestic poultry, waterfowl, raptors, and some shorebirds in the U.S. and Canada. "It's difficult to estimate how many birds are truly affected across wild populations, but we're seeing dramatic disease impacts in raptors, sea birds and colonial nesting birds. Farmers struggled to keep the disease and wild birds out of their barns after increasing security and cleaning measures following the 2015 outbreak. All Rights Reserved. Just one or two mutations could make H5N1 more efficient at infecting humans. But when domesticated poultry, such as chickens and turkeys, come in direct or indirect contact with feces of infected wild birds, they become infected and start to show symptoms, such as depression, coughing and sneezing and sudden death. An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in chicken and turkey flocks has spread across 24 U.S. states since it was first detected in Indiana on Feb. 8, 2022. A highly pathogenic avian influenza has been spreading in the U.S., making headlines as the price of eggs soared at the start of the year and fears of the next zoonotic pandemic creep into popular media.
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