Battling Bird Flu: Khaled Obeid Dissects Data on Avian Influenza - Inside UNC Charlotte
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a virus that is on the mind of many in the United States and globally. The disease, which historically is transmitted by wild and farm birds, recently has jumped to other farm animals and humans. The mass infections of chickens has forced farmers to reduce their flocks resulting in […]
Acidification kills H5N1 in waste milk, reducing risk of bird flu
Pasteurization is the only widely recognized method of killing H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, in milk. However, pasteurization can be expensive and fewer than 50% of large dairy farms pasteurize waste milk.
Bird flu is RFK Jr.‘s first test. He must meet the moment. | Opinion
Now that he has been confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy must recognize that his performance is a matter of life and death on a population scale.
Story blood samples show previous bird flu infection veterinarians
A new CDC report found evidence of previous bird flu infection in veterinary practitioners who work with cattle and who did not know they had been exposed.
After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people
After going quiet on bird flu, CDC scientists have published a report on its spread among veterinarians. The findings suggest a need for better surveillance.
Bird Flu Spreads Across China, Infected Poultry Sold in Markets, Residents Report
A severe avian influenza outbreak has struck several provinces in China. Residents say infected chickens are still being allowed into the market. “We hope everyone pays attention,” pleaded Goose-Goose, a Chinese poultry farmer, in a recent video highlighting an avian flu outbreak impacting meat ducks and breeding geese in Shandong, Henan, and Hebei provinces. In […]
A brief history of human infections with H5Ny avian influenza viruses
The H5 subtype of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) presents a continued threat to human health, intensifying with the H5N1 outbreak in cattle herds and …
Experts watch bird flu – H5N1 – with hands over eyes
No one thought cows could catch flu; herds in Idaho have been infected twice with this strain, setting up worry that the virus could circulate endlessly on farms. There are no vaccines.
Research Note: Novel reassortant avian influenza A(H9N2) Viruses in Wild Birds in Shanghai, China, 2020-2023 - PubMed
The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus poses significant challenges to global poultry and human health. During the active surveillance of avian influenza virus in wild birds in Shanghai from 2020 to 2023, a total of nine H9N2 viruses were identified. To better understand the genetic characteristi …
Chhindwara bans meat sales after cat samples test positive for H5N1 | Bhopal News - The Times of India
Bhopal: After samples from cats tested positive for H5N1 in Chhindwara town, the district administration has imposed a ban on the sale and consumption.
The role of mechanically-ventilated chicken buildings with high population densities in facilitating windborne transmission of bird flu
Understanding the transmission routes of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) is crucial for developing effective control measures to prevent its spread. In this context, windborne transmission, the idea that the virus can travel through the air over considerable distances, is a contentious concept and, documented cases are rare. Here, though, we provide genetic evidence supporting the feasibility of windborne transmission. During the 2023-24 HPAI season, molecular surveillance identified identical H5N1 strains among a cluster of unrelated commercial farms about 8 km apart in the Czech Republic. The episode started with the abrupt mortality of fattening ducks on one farm and was followed by disease outbreaks at two nearby high-biosecurity chicken farms. Using genetic, epizootiological, meteorological and geographical data, we reconstructed a mosaic of events strongly suggesting wind was the mechanism of infection transmission between poultry in at least two independent cases. By aligning the genetic and meteorological data with critical outbreak events, we determined the most likely time window during which the transmission occurred and inferred the sequence of infected houses at the recipient sites. Our results suggest that the contaminated plume emitted from the infected fattening duck farm was the critical medium of HPAI transmission, rather than the dust generated during depopulation. Furthermore, they also strongly implicate the role of confined mechanically-ventilated buildings with high population densities in facilitating windborne transmission and propagating virus concentrations below the minimum infectious dose at the recipient sites. These findings underscore the importance of considering windborne spread in future outbreak mitigation strategies.
### Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Telangana bans poultry imports from Andhra Pradesh after bird flu outbreak
Telangana has blocked poultry imports from Andhra Pradesh after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed in the East Godavari district. While Telangana set up 24 checkpoints at the border to prevent the virus from spreading, authorities in Andhra Pradesh sealed a poultry farm, culled 1,500 chickens, and declared a red zone.
The Latest on Bird Flu Strains and Sick Zoo Animals
Scientists have reported a new strain of bird flu in Nevada dairy cattle. And viral spread in pet cats has fueled worries over increased risk of exposure to humans