part 2;

C-A-G

@C_A_G0101

·

Mar 29

Replying to 

@florian_krammer

 and 

@IKostenas

In Europe, there are major protest from farmers since months. So, govs will be quite reluctant to test cattle, as it could ignite fear among consumers... and in few weeks we have major EU elections 

DJ, When one looks at how "politics" totally failed and made CoViD-19 into a pandemic "saving the economy" I do not doubt "present politics" will do "all they can" to also send H5N1 on a world tour....

[url]https://twitter.com/ejustin46/status/1773968684668637277[/url] or https://twitter.com/ejustin46/status/1773968684668637277 Among Others;

8) 𝗕 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝘆𝘀𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 B cells is of such importance, particularly in the infection - reinfection process, that we will return in a mega-thread especially dedicated to this subject. Thanks for reading 

Quote

Emmanuel

@ejustin46

·

Jan 10

SARS-COV-2. T CELLS and B CELLS EXPLAINED

DJ link to a thread explaining how CoViD-19 destroys immunity...so; the doors are wide open for H5N1 ! 

[url]https://twitter.com/siamosolocani/status/1773056496223305987[/url] or https://twitter.com/siamosolocani/status/1773056496223305987 ;

Federico Gueli 

@siamosolocani

This is a great study coming from Nigeria finding Sars1 and Sars2 crossreactives antibodies between 2020-22 in wild/domestic animals. I m not a virologist but it seems very well done. Congrats to  authors: 

@ClementMeseko

 

@AgusiRoseann

  Et al

Quote

Emmanuel

@ejustin46

·

Mar 27

𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗦-𝗖𝗼𝗩 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗦-𝗖𝗼𝗩 -2 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 Key study! https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771424000351

DJ....CoViD is NOT over...it may even be SARS-1 and SARS-2 "did meet and mix"...so we may see another-new-CoViD pandemic...Mixed with H5N1 we could end up with "Flu-Rona"...only the name is "nice"...

[url]https://twitter.com/ejustin46[/url] or https://twitter.com/ejustin46 lots of info...

Wars and climate collapse are "perfect feeding grounds" for pandemics...

end of part 2

part 4,

Another comment;

Pigs are the common source of true pandemic leap from livestock to human, so maybe general farmer? 

But a slaughterhouse is a much more likely jumping off point, lots of blood, very close quarters, animals from all over you get the picture. 

As for CFR, HPAI has a CFR of 50%+ when its host is an animal because of several factors, but no flu in history that’s spreading H2H rapidly has even approached 50%, it would simply burn itself out. 

This is basically virology version of the FAFO chart, as CFR goes up, R0 tends to go down, so 50% CFR leading to a global pandemic like COVID is statistically and biologically impossible. 

You’re more likely case is “Slaughterhouse worked in Iowa reports to local health clinic and dies from flu like symptoms 5 days later, CDC receives a flu sample indicating H5N1 has jumped to humans. 

Several other members of his factory have symptoms and the doctor who treated him has become sick as well, flash forward 6 months and CFR of 1.1% in elderly and young with a CFR of .3% in young(we must take into account immunological imprinting and almost everyone 60 and younger have been exposed to H1N1 since birth so we get a slight leg up plus our good immune system). 

This will undoubtedly be a cataclysmic loss of life but it is not the earth ending pandemic of a 50% CFR

-

Hope you are right, but HPAI has been causing havoc among migratory birds, poultry and mammals since the 90's and possibly even earlier, even though it has a high CFR. 

Also, pigs were thought to be the main organism of concern as a mixing vessel, though recent studies suggest a lot more organisms are potential mixing vessels, such as dogs and felines.

 I think the first human transmissible HPAI will he due to poultry-human contact, due to this clade's capability to spill over without a mixing vessels, as did happen to seals, cats, cows, pigs and other mammals..

DJ, H5N1 in US cows did NOT kill those -still very limited number of- cows...Cow-to-cow spread of H5N1 has to be seen as part of a much larger global trend;

-H5N1 is getting very widespread both in areaś and "hosts"

-CoViD may decrease immunity

-Politics do not seem to have public health as a high priority

-Lots of wars/crises around the globe...

[url]https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/the-pandemic-discussion-forum/987828-discussion-thread-hpai-in-us-dairy-cows-march-24?view=stream[/url] or https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/the-pandemic-discussion-forum/987828-discussion-thread-hpai-in-us-dairy-cows-march-24?view=stream (a.o. trying to get some basic idea). 

sharon sanders replied

March 29, 2024, 12:47 PM

DJ...again...pointing to higher risk...

end of part 4

DJ, In  a very optimistic scenario H5N1 in US cows are limited, stop spreading and will be over, "old news" in a few months...Case-Fatality-Ratio remain 0...Cows feel "unwell" produce less milk...Most of the damage is economic; milk can 't be sold...cow-meat may not be sold as well...

The bigger picture is H5N1 has been seen in lots of mammals [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_that_can_get_H5N1[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_that_can_get_H5N1 (the wiki-list will be updated)...

Spread from cow-to-cow, sealion-to-sealion is a "major worry"....Also H5N1 can mix with other types of flu-result in a much higher risk type of flu...

link; [url]https://jech.bmj.com/content/62/6/555.abstract[/url] or https://jech.bmj.com/content/62/6/555.abstract ;

DJ, CFR is "just one statistic", long term damage (like with CoViD, Q-fever, Lyme etc.) has to be another major worry...

ALSO;

CoViD is NOT over ! Co-infections of H5N1 with CoViD, Mpox etc. will worsen the outcome of major spread of H5N1 !

[url]https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/cdc-statement-risk-assessment-on-texas.html[/url] or https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/cdc-statement-risk-assessment-on-texas.html ;

The CDC has weighed in, via an emailed press release (I'll update a link when I find one), on the Texas H5N1 case announced about 45 minutes ago by the DSHS.  For now, this appears to be an isolated case, although monitoring and testing of close contacts is undoubtedly underway.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the U.S.

 

CDC’s Risk Assessment for the General Public Remains Low

 

 

April 1, 2024—A person in the United States has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”), as reported by Texas and confirmed by CDC. This person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. The patient reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom, and is recovering. The patient was told to isolate and is being treated with an antiviral drug for flu.

This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection. CDC has interim recommendations for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses.

 

--

This is the second person reported to have tested positive for influenza A(H5N1) viruses in the United States. A previous human case occurred in 2022 in Colorado. Human infections with avian influenza A viruses, including A(H5N1) viruses, are uncommon but have occurred sporadically worldwide. CDC has been monitoring for illness among people exposed to H5 virus-infected birds since outbreaks were first detected in U.S. wild birds and poultry in late 2021. Human illnesses with H5N1 bird flu have ranged from mild (e.g., eye infection, upper respiratory symptoms) to severe illness (e.g., pneumonia) that have resulted in death in other countries.

--

Preliminary analysis of A(H5N1) viruses has not found changes that would make these viruses resistant to current FDA-approved flu antiviral medications, so these are believed to be effective against these viruses. Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) developed against related clade 2.3.4.4b viruses are available for vaccine manufacturing if necessary and preliminary analysis indicates that they may provide reasonable protection against H5N1 influenza viruses. Seasonal flu vaccines do not provide protection against these viruses. Analysis of virus samples is ongoing.

DJ, H5N1 may cause no or only mild symptoms-so easy to miss...

Data Report

@CovidDataReport

·

6h

Two people have been diagnosed with bird flu in England

-[url]https://www.mediarunsearch.co.uk/two-people-have-been-diagnosed-with-bird-flu-in-england/[/url] or https://www.mediarunsearch.co.uk/two-people-have-been-diagnosed-with-bird-flu-in-england/ 

Two people have been diagnosed with bird flu in England

Two people have been diagnosed with bird flu in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), on Tuesday (16/5).

The infected people are poultry farmers who work on a farm where cases of bird flu infection among animals have already been confirmed. They are infected with influenza A (H5) virus, but have no symptoms of illness. Confirmation was made through an asymptomatic testing program for people who had contact with infected birds.

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Human_infections[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Human_infections ;

Human infections[edit]

As of March 2024, the WHO reported a total of 888 confirmed human cases which resulted in the deaths of 463 people since 2003.^[5]

DJ a list at [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range ;

Confirmed human cases and mortality rate of avian influenza (H5N1) 2003–2024

DJ, since a lot of mild/asymptomatic cases will be missed the CFR will be much lower-however co-infections may push up the CFR

roni3470, my non expert-far from perfect-view;

-War situation = very bad, getting worse for now...

-Climate situation = very bad also worsening...

-Pandemic situation = bad

On H5N1, at least three human cases reported april 1; 1 US-Texas and 2 from UK...all mild. Very likely an increase of testing will increase findings.

My view; new types of the H5N1 virus may have seen some mutations resulting in more spread in mammals. So cows, humans may run more risks.

It may be -for now- very hard to be 100% certain of spread from sealion-to-sealion, cow-to-cow...however from a risk management view one should not wait for such proof.

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range has 888 human cases testing positive for H5N1 since 2003.

Both Cambodia and Vietnam did report a human death linked to H5N1 this year. Given the very limited number of detected human cases the Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) may give an overestimation. Real CFR may also differ from the variant of H5N1. Some forms of H5N1 could have a CFR of 0....not much worse than a cold...

-

The problem is in recombinations, coinfections, aerosol spread etc. 

Lots of other diseases (from measles, dengue to Mpox, CoViD) may be getting worse. 

CoronaHeadsUp

@CoronaHeadsUp

A lot of these symptoms can be indicators for lots of diseases...even most polio-cases may have some of the same symptoms...

If I would use a "color-scale" for "mixed dangers" BLACK may be the worst...we may however be moving from RED to PURPLE...just one step away from BLACK...

Maybe another remark; "moving into a safe place" to early may limit safety of that "safe place" (using reserves etc.). Timing in a crisis matters-but timing NEVER can be 100% perfect. 

Just my view...from an urban area in NL...if you are in a position with "lots of safe places" it may influence your view. 

[url]https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/04/articles/animals/other-animals/human-h5n1-likely-linked-to-cattle/[/url] or https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/04/articles/animals/other-animals/human-h5n1-likely-linked-to-cattle/ (from Canada...so why not mention the two UK cases ?)

DJ, I put all of the (good) article to put things in perspective...YES there is a problem, NO we are -not yet- in any kind of human H5N1 pandemic !

Both the US -limited number of- cows as the latest three US/UK human H5N1 infections are (very) mild. 

More testing will increase "statistics" but make control better ! From that view...more H5N1 infections getting reported is "good news"; at least we are testing for it !

DJ, H5N1 also in Texas cats;

-

[url]https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/usda-confirms-avian-flu-in-new-mexico.html[/url] or https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/usda-confirms-avian-flu-in-new-mexico.html ;

Late yesterday (April 1st) the USDA reported the samples from New Mexico were confirmed positive, along with 5 more cattle herds in Texas (n=7).  Four states are now confirmed (Texas, Kansas, Michigan & New Mexico), while confirmation of the presumptive positive results from Idaho remain pending.

It seems likely that additional infected herds will be announced in the days and weeks ahead.  While the only positive tests have come thus far from symptomatic dairy cows, it isn't clear how aggressively non-symptomatic cattle are being tested (or if the capacity even exists to do so on a large scale).

The USDA's FAQ, issued on March 29th (see excerpt below) makes it pretty clear they are concentrating primarily on testing symptomatic cattle.

-

Federal and state agencies continue to conduct additional testing in swabs from sick animals and in unpasteurized clinical milk samples from sick animals, as well as viral genome sequencing, to assess whether HPAI or another unrelated disease may be underlying any symptoms.

The NVSL has also confirmed that the strain of the virus found in subsequent states is very similar to the strain originally confirmed in cattle in Texas and Kansas that appears to have been introduced by wild birds (H5N1, Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b). Initial testing has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans. While cases among humans in direct contact with infected animals are possible, this indicates that the current risk to the public remains low.

There continues to be no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it affects the safety of the commercial milk supply because products are pasteurized before entering the market. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted from the commercial milk tank or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply. In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Pasteurization is required for any milk entering interstate commerce for human consumption. FDA’s longstanding position is that unpasteurized, raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to consumers, and FDA is reminding consumers of the risks associated with raw milk consumption in light of the HPAI detections.

Because of the limited information available about the transmission of HPAI in raw milk, the FDA recommends that industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw/unpasteurized milk cheese products made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with avian influenza or exposed to those infected with avian influenza. At this time, the FDA is not aware that any milk or dairy product from symptomatic cows is entering interstate commerce. Furthermore, if milk from cows showing symptoms of illness or exposed to those infected with avian influenza, is intended to be used to feed calves or other animals, FDA strongly encourages that it be pasteurized or otherwise heat treated to kill harmful bacteria or viruses, such as influenza, before calf feeding. Food safety information from FDA, including information about the sale and consumption of raw milk, can be found here.

Milk loss resulting from symptomatic cattle to date is too limited to have a major impact on supply and there should be no impact on the price of milk or other dairy products. Further, the U.S. typically has a more than sufficient milk supply in the spring months due to seasonally higher production.

-

Two weeks ago - despite evidence to the contrary -  it was widely assumed that cattle were not susceptible to HPAI (or any influenza A viruses).  As a result, it took weeks before anyone thought to test sick dairy cows for avian influenza.

Which means we don't really know how long the virus has been infecting cattle, or how widespread it has become.  In the same vein, yesterday's announced (mild) human infection would likely have gone undiagnosed if the alert hadn't been issued a week ago. 

In a few southern states some county and state fairs are already underway, with agricultural exhibits of both cattle and swine being well attended events.  Those numbers will increase over the summer and fall. 

While most fairs require the screening and barring of `sick animals' from exhibition, over the years we've learned that many pigs may be infected asymptomatically (see EID Journal: Flu In Healthy-Looking Pigs and Transmission Of Swine H3N2 To Humans At Agricultural Exhibits - Michigan & Ohio 2016).

It is unknown if HPAI in exhibition cattle will pose a similar risk, but the possibility can't be ignored. It is also reasonable that if cattle and goats are being infected via wild birds, that pigs may be at risk as well. 

While large scale testing of cattle or pigs may be impractical, pre-screening of animals prior to exhibition - including the use of RIDTs (Rapid Influenza Detection Tests) - may be worth serious consideration.  

Otherwise we risk finding out the hard way that HPAI is more entrenched in livestock than we think. 

DJ...recommendations...country/state fairs with mixing of cows, sheep, pigs, humans....

Did we learn anything ?????

DJ, H5N1 may have killed hundreds of millions of birds all over the planet...most of those birds got eaten by mammals...so H5N1 got widespread in mammals via infected birds...

Why do we only "wake up" when humans test positive for H5N1 ? 

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Human_infections[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Human_infections 

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932024_H5N1_outbreak[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932024_H5N1_outbreak 

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range[/url] or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1#Transmission_and_host_range 889 human cases-still missing the 2 UK april-cases...

What to do ? 

-Stay informed !

-Masks + eye protection (at least in higher risk area/farm)

-Most of the spread may be without (severe) symptoms..."it could look like hayfever"....

-Take risks serious !!!!

[url]https://www.science.org/content/article/us-dairy-farm-worker-infected-as-bird-flu-spreads-to-cows-in-five-states[/url] or https://www.science.org/content/article/us-dairy-farm-worker-infected-as-bird-flu-spreads-to-cows-in-five-states ;

The case is the latest surprise in the global march of the flu strain, a subtype of H5N1 known as clade 2.3.4.4b that has devastated wild birds and poultry around the world for more than two years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it has confirmed that the virus has infected cattle at farms in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, and Michigan, while Idaho has a “presumptive” outbreak at one dairy farm. Wild birds, which have been found dead on some farms, most likely contaminated cow feed or water.

Some evidence suggests the virus was transmitted between cows, but that remains unproven. And for now, USDA says its “initial testing has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.”   Still, the widespread occurrence of H5N1 in mammals has renewed worries that it may evolve to become more transmissible between people.  And scientists are urgently trying to answer a host of questions, including how far the virus has spread among U.S. cows and how to prevent more herds and people from becoming infected.

Although cows routinely contract influenza viruses, this is the first time that a “highly pathogenic” bird flu strain has been found in them. USDA says about 10% of affected herds have become ill. Sick cows have a mild illness, and produce less milk, which is thicker than usual, resembling colostrum, the first milk produced after a calf is born.

-

Antibody tests of herds should soon reveal how widespread the infection is and how long it has been infecting cattle. Lab experiments may clarify how a virus that typically causes respiratory disease wound up in cow udders, making it detectable in their milk, and whether other organs are infected.  No evidence exists that the virus has infected beef cattle, but researchers say that could simply be because of a lack of surveillance, or because these animals show subtler symptoms than changes in milk production and its appearance.

-

Although avian influenza viruses, first detected in humans in 1997, have caused outbreaks that killed hundreds of people, they have difficulty infecting human cells due to differences in the sugars that adorn human and bird cellular receptors for the virus. But humans have the bird version in our eyes, which explains why we can develop conjunctivitis.

“I think the conjunctivitis in itself is not so serious, but it points to the fact that those people have been exposed and that they might develop respiratory disease,” says Thijs Kuiken, a comparative pathologist at Erasmus Medical Center who specializes in avian influenza. “I am really concerned about the people who are looking after affected cattle because I've heard of really high levels of virus in the milk and people are milking these animals twice a day.”

The appearance of H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b in cows was unexpected, even after its detection in dozens of mammalian species, including cats, dogs, foxes, tigers, leopards, coyotes, bears, seals, dolphins—and last month, goats at a Minnesota farm that also had an infected poultry flock. Cattle are often infected with type D, which one study shows can readily infect farm workers and cause disease, but H5N1 is a type A virus. “It’s definitely taken me by surprise, but perhaps it shouldn’t have,” says virologist Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Idaho officials contend transmission of the virus between cattle occurred on a dairy farm there. That herd became sick after coming into contact with cows trucked in from an area in Texas where the virus was circulating. That “does lead state officials to believe cow-to-cow is how the virus was transmitted in this case,” a spokesperson for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture told Science. In Michigan, too, the virus surfaced after the importation of cows from Texas.

-

There are no H5N1 vaccines for cattle. Poultry vaccines do exist and are used heavily in China, with some marked successes. A crash program to develop a cattle equivalent might make sense, says Carol Cardona, an avian influenza specialist and poultry veterinarian at the University of Minnesota. If vaccinations can reduce viral spread, they might offer some secondary protection to dairy workers. “The person-to-cow ratio is so much higher than the person-to-chicken ratio,” notes Cardona, putting many more workers at risk. The cattle infections are “a game changer,” she adds. “I think it's all hands on deck.”

David Swayne, who formerly ran the USDA’s avian influenza research lab, says it would be possible to quickly make a new cattle vaccine by modifying one now used in swine. And unlike with the bird vaccines, which are banned in the U.S. due in part to international trade concerns, swine vaccination is already “widely accepted,” Swayne says.

The U.S. government stockpiles an H5N1 vaccine for humans, and CDC said in a statement today that vaccines developed for related viruses “are available for vaccine manufacturing” if preliminary studies show they protect against 2.3.4.3b. “As a protective measure you can imagine vaccinating dairy workers,” Kuiken says.

The human infection in Texas has echoes of a massive outbreak of another highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, H7N7, in poultry flocks in the Netherlands in 2003 that Kuiken studied. Hundreds of people developed conjunctivitis, mainly during culling of infected flocks, and there was some evidence of human-to-human transmission. One veterinarian died.

Kuiken advises the U.S. to restrict the movement of cattle to limit the spread of the virus. “I would take the precautionary principle and say, ‘OK, until we know what's going on, let's put a standstill on this,’” he says.

But that is a controversial idea because the dairy industry relies on trucking cows south over the winters and then returning them north. And Armstrong doubts halting cattle transports would have much impact if migratory birds prove to be the main route of transmission. Many bird species are currently moving north and may be taking the virus with them. “It would be very surprising if it wasn't already everywhere,” Armstrong says, noting how difficult it is for farms to keep out birds. “We have to protect people, but we also have to … make sure we’re not crippling the industry,” he says.

As to H5N1’s future, Cardona says we should continue to expect the unexpected. “The virus is making up new dances,” she says. “It’s broken the rules on everything.”

DJ, Texas cows did spread H5N1 -very likely- further into other US states (so not the wild birds but transport of cows-infecting other cows...???) 

AVOIDING ANOTHER PANDEMIC SHOULD BE #1 !!!!!! Not -again- "saving economy"....

part 2;

[url]https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/usda-confirms-infection-in-idaho-dairy.html[/url] or https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/usda-confirms-infection-in-idaho-dairy.html ; Although we've known since last week that preliminary tests had indicated HPAI in an Idaho Dairy herd, this afternoon the USDA has confirmed those test results, making Idaho the 5th state with confirmed HPAI in cattle. 

DJ, Very likely more testing will result in detecting more cases...So if one wants to deny a problem stop testing...it will make most problems a lot worse...But it -for now"- may "save the economy"....

[url]https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/cdc-summary-analyses-of-genetic.html[/url] or https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/cdc-summary-analyses-of-genetic.html ;

The CDC this evening has released their analysis of the HPAI H5N1 virus sampled from the human case in Texas, and reports that it is largely similar to HPAI viruses collected from dairy cattle in Texas. 

They do, however, report finding one well known `mammalian' mutation in the human sample; PB2-E627K. 

DJ, so the virus in the Texas farm worker catching H5N1 -most likely- from the cows had the E627K mutation the cows did NOT show...

Avian influenza in birds is predominantly a gastrointestinal malady, and is spread mostly via infected droppings. Birds run `hotter’ than mammals, which means avian flu viruses must adapt to lower temperatures found in the respiratory tract if they are to succeed in human or mammalian hosts.

DJ, In SouthEast Asia Cambodia and Vietnam had several human H5N1 infections...was it the same one as in this US, the two UK cases from april 1 ? 

Despite previous identification of PB2 E627K in human cases of HPAI A(H5N1) virus, there is no evidence of onward transmission among humans after infection with viruses containing this mutation.

 It is important to note that this substitution has not been seen in available PB2 genes from viruses circulating in wild birds and poultry or in the recently described cattle viruses detected in Texas, suggesting the mutation may have been acquired in the patient during the development of conjunctivitis.

 Viruses can undergo changes in a host as they replicate after infection, and it is not uncommon or surprising for HPAI A(H5N1) viruses to undergo this and other polymerase gene changes in infected patients (9). 

Additional data from A(H5N1) virus-infected animals from the premises where the person was likely exposed is needed to support this hypothesis.

DJ so the H5N1 virus changed in the human host to better "spread" in the host...

Collectively, epidemiologic, and viral genomic analyses indicate that this case represents a single zoonotic event and while the HA lacked changes likely to enhance transmission to mammals, it did acquire substitutions in PB2 likely to enhance replication in mammals, which illustrates that we have to remain vigilant and continue to characterize zoonotic viruses.

So...pandemic risk (based on CDC-US data) remains low...More info on other H5N1 mammal infections may -however- need to review that idea...

end of part 2,

This mutation is the first of many as far as I am concerned.  The speed at which it went from cow to cat to human is a little crazy. Now a 2nd person has it.  I just dont think this is good.  my son just got sick from his roommate, they both had pink eye and flu.  He is in Arizona and hasn't had pink eye in like 10 years.  This all has be so edgy!  I hope and pray with all my heart that it stays mild and is no worse than a normal flu!

KiwiMum, interesting-good-video..."under reaction to over reaction"...CFR may be even less than 5% -at the start...Governments will use a H5N1 pandemic -they failed to stop- to increase further "population control"...Also further going after "spreading false info"....

If people this time of year get eye problems, runny nose etc. it may be "just" hayfever....

However....H5N1 by now must be widespread in (wild) mammals...testing capacity may be very limited. So they now only test symptomatic cows, cats etc because of limits to testing capacity...

-

DJ, the july 1 -2023 tweet makes clear what role the K562R mutation plays in combination with E627K...increasing -in this case- H5N1 virus spreading in the (mammal) host...Humans are mammals...

Somehow there may still be the idea "humans" are not linked to other animals...But "one health" what happens in humans may spread to other mammals (like CoViD) or the other way round; H5N1 jumping from birds to mammals and it may end up in humans...

There are a lot of links I could include-but to keep this story to "the point" I will keep it limited...only if they provide new info...Ohio the 6th US state with H5N1 in cows is not "surprising"...Texas the "motor" behind H5N1 spreading in cows, cats also not surprising...

We may see H5N1 in (farm) dogs...but it may stay limited there...for now. 

DJ-My view; H5N1 is moving us towards a flu-pandemic but it may NOT be a H5N1-flu...

Like H1N1 in 1917/18 "Spanish Flu" it is how we deal with it that may matter most..."under reaction" a very major problem ! 

If a flu infects half of all humans -it would be in 4 billion people...If it killed 1% of them it would kill 40 million...

Lots of other diseases around-very likely new diseases may increase as well...It may be the combination that is "very bad news"...At the end it may not matter what disease killed your family member, friend, partner...he/she is gone...very likely by a disease that should have been controlled...

DJ, H5N1 will be used as distraction for the latest NATO criminal disasters in UKraine and USrael...Some western crazy leaders may accuse Putin of infecting US cows with H5N1, blame China for another "lab-leak"...not based on any evidence...but it may distract from total western politics failure...

H5N1 is affecting egg-production. Some mega-farms did see H5N1 in their chickens...

A welcome outcome of -yet another- pandemic may be rethinking meat consumption...do we need milk, eggs that much ? 

Farm animals ARE a pandemic risk! Alternatives for meat (etc) are getting better...

[url]https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock[/url] or https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock on H5N1 spread in US cows/cattle...

Isabella Eckerle

@EckerleIsabella

·

21h

The current #H5N1 detection in cattle is a good moment to think about food safety and security, and the risk posed by emerging animal and human viral diseases. The way we currently farm & interact with livestock is not sustainable and not safe. And not ethical.

DJ, transporting animals for days, treating them as "things" is just as bad as "wars for profits"...

The Onion

@TheOnion

·

10h

Biden: ‘Israel Has An Obligation Not To Harm My Reelection Chances’

We need better leaders !...it should not be that hard to find more intelligent ones...But a "powerblock" is using the present crazy leaders to fill up their pockets !

Eric Feigl-Ding

@DrEricDing

CDC’s updated website info on bird flu— 

“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. 

Very rarely, human infections with bird flu viruses have happened through an intermediary animal, including a cat and a cow. 

Human infections with bird flu viruses can happen when virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled. 

This can happen when ***virus is in the air** (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or possibly when a person touches something that has virus on it and then touches their *mouth , eyes  or nose . https://cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/inhumans.htm

DJ, mutations in H5N1 could bring higher viral loads spread via aerosols of dried up "droppings"...

CoViD-still widespread-may decrease immunity protection against H5N1...so give H5N1 more chance to spread in hosts-post Covid !

[url]https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/the-pandemic-discussion-forum/987828-discussion-thread-h5n1-avian-flu-in-us-dairy-cows-march-24-a-human-case-in-texas-april-1?view=stream[/url] or https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/the-pandemic-discussion-forum/987828-discussion-thread-h5n1-avian-flu-in-us-dairy-cows-march-24-a-human-case-in-texas-april-1?view=stream 

and [url]https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/united-states/h5n1-tracking-af/987593-us-dairy-cows-test-positive-for-h5n1-avian-flu-in-texas-kansas-idaho-michigan-new-mexico-ohio-march-24-one-texas-human-case-april-1?view=stream[/url] or https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/united-states/h5n1-tracking-af/987593-us-dairy-cows-test-positive-for-h5n1-avian-flu-in-texas-kansas-idaho-michigan-new-mexico-ohio-march-24-one-texas-human-case-april-1?view=stream 

may provide latest (good) info...

DJ-Outside the US cows, other farm "mammals". may see H5N1 but there may be -so far- no testing...

[url]https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/04/air-pollution-cost-hundreds-of-lives-during-coronavirus-pandemic/[/url] or https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/04/air-pollution-cost-hundreds-of-lives-during-coronavirus-pandemic/ 

[url]https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/01/lung-alliance-warns-shortage-asthma-medication-especially-children-affected[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/01/lung-alliance-warns-shortage-asthma-medication-especially-children-affected 

[url]https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/04/whooping-cough-measles-cases-rising-politicians-demand-action-vaccine-rates[/url] or https://nltimes.nl/2024/04/04/whooping-cough-measles-cases-rising-politicians-demand-action-vaccine-rates 

...for economic reasons...lots of countries may postpone testing in farm animals...(Here in NL "political blabla/worries"). 

Big Pharma may see another oppertunity for mega-profits...we keep repeating mistakes till those mistakes end us...

Another article;

[url]https://www.statnews.com/2024/04/05/bird-flu-ron-fouchier-h5n1-risk-to-people/[/url] or https://www.statnews.com/2024/04/05/bird-flu-ron-fouchier-h5n1-risk-to-people/ ;

To put these developments in perspective, STAT turned to Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier, a leading expert on H5N1, for his assessment of these latest twists in the H5 saga. Fouchier, who studies avian influenza at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, was at the center of a controversy about H5N1 in 2012, when a U.S. scientific advisory group moved to restrict publication of research he and a team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had done — separately — to see what mutations would be needed for the virus to be able to spread efficiently among people, so-called gain of function research.

Fouchier takes little solace from the fact that current versions of H5N1 seem to infect people less frequently, and to cause mostly mild illness when they do. The global range of H5 viruses — the sheer volume of the virus in nature — and the numbers of mammals H5 has shown itself capable of sickening is unprecedented, he said, making anticipating its future path harder than ever to gauge.

-

link [url]https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-may-be-spreading-cows-milking-and-herd-transport[/url] or https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-may-be-spreading-cows-milking-and-herd-transport 

DJ

-

-

link; [url]https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/experts-say-h5n1-bird-flu-pandemic-might-be-100-times-worse-than-covid-19-how-to-stay-safe-19392658.htm[/url] or https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/experts-say-h5n1-bird-flu-pandemic-might-be-100-times-worse-than-covid-19-how-to-stay-safe-19392658.htm ;

"This virus (has been) on the top of the pandemic list for many, many years and probably decades... And now we are getting dangerously close to this virus potentially causing a pandemic," DailyMail quoted Dr Suresh Kuchipudi, a bird flu researcher in Pittsburgh, as saying.

Dr Kuchipudi noted that the H5N1 viruses have already demonstrated multiple important features of a potential pandemic virus. He added that it has the "greatest pandemic threat".

The concerns regarding H5N1 bird flu were raised at a recent briefing where researchers discussed the issue in detail and expressed apprehension that it may be approaching a critical threshold that could spark a global pandemic.

John Fulton, a pharmaceutical industry consultant for vaccines, warned the H5N1 strain of influenza A may trigger a worse pandemic than COVID-19.

"This appears to be 100 times worse than COVID, or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate," Fulton noted.

The European Union's Food Safety Agency (EFSA) on Wednesday warned of a large-scale bird flu pandemic if the virus becomes transmissible between humans as they lack immunity against the virus.

This came after Texas reported that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, was detected in a person.

Around 887 cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza have been reported around the world between January 2003 and February 26 this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Out of these, 462 cases were fatal, accounting for a rate of 52%.

Here are a few tips to stay safe from the H5N1 flu:

1. People should try to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and their droppings. Use personal protective equipment when handling them.

2. Thoroughly cook the poultry products to kill the virus.

3. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose with unwashed hands.

4. Seek medical attention if you are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness.

5. Follow public health recommendations and stay informed about latest updates on H5N1.

DJ, CoViD and H5N1 do NOT exclude eachother...we could see a "mega-mix" of diseases...

link; [url]https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/officials-warn-h5n1-avian-flu-reassortant-circulating-parts-asia[/url] or https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/officials-warn-h5n1-avian-flu-reassortant-circulating-parts-asia ;

Animal health officials in Vietnam and with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today urged countries to be on alert for a new highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 reassortant virus in chickens and mescovy ducks, which was found during active surveillance.

In a statement, the FAO said the virus is a reassortant between the older H5N1 clade (2.3.2.1c) that is still circulating in parts of Asia and a newer H5N1 clade (2.3.4.4b) that began circulating globally in 2021.

A reminder about the virus' ability to adapt

The reassortant virus contains surface proteins of the older clade virus and internal genes from the more recent virus clade. The reassortant has been circulating across the Greater Mekong subregion, causing infections in birds and people since the middle of 2022.

The FAO said the virus has been linked to human infections, though it didn't specify which ones.

DJ, related;

Raj Rajnarayanan

@RajlabN

There may be more "new H5N1 variants" in mammals...we simply can impossible test all possible hosts...Not even all sick ones...

link; [url]https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/avian-flu-h5n1-cow-outbreaks-1.7162626[/url] or https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/avian-flu-h5n1-cow-outbreaks-1.7162626 ;

And a rising number of mammals are also getting infected, from mink to seals to domestic dogs and cats.

This March, prior to the discovery of cases among cattle, Minnesota reported an H5N1 infection in a young goat, marking the first known U.S. case of bird flu in a ruminant. (Cows are also ruminants, a group of herbivores known for their four-chambered stomachs.)

-

"Dairy cows have not been affected before in the United States, or anywhere else in the world to my knowledge, and we've never before seen such clear evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission," said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore.

That possibility of spread between cows "does take us, maybe, a half-step closer to a scenario where the virus would be better adapted for humans," she told CBC News.

What's even more concerning, several researchers agreed, is the growing potential for bird flu to spread to another species of livestock: Pigs.

Pigs considered viral mixing vessels

While cattle aren't known for being an ideal host for many flu viruses, pigs are potent viral mixing vessels. That's because swine have both human-adapted receptors and avian-adapted receptors in their respiratory tracts, Moncla said, meaning they can be infected with either type of pathogen.

If a pig catches both a human influenza A virus and an avian influenza A virus at the same time, it can spark a process known as viral reassortment — a genetic exchange in which flu viruses swap gene segments. 

Those swaps can introduce dramatic changes, producing a new virus with certain properties of a non-human strain coupled with the capacity to infect and spread between people.

That sort of shift hasn't been documented yet with H5N1. But it did happen with a new form of H1N1 — a virus resulting from a mashup of genes between various pig, bird, and human flu viruses — which began infecting people for the first time in 2009, sparking a pandemic.

Death rates from H1N1 were higher than typical flu seasons, but it eventually began circulating alongside other seasonal flu viruses and is now included in annual flu shots.

Moncla said her "worst fear" is something similar happening with highly pathogenic avian flu, given its health impacts. 

-

'It might not ever leave'

There are no signals that H5N1 has spread to pigs, at least for now. It also hasn't appeared yet in Canadian livestock, including dairy cattle, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 

But scientists on both sides of the border worry it's just a matter of time if swift action isn't taken to contain outbreaks and heighten surveillance.

-

Dairy producers, scared for their livelihoods, can be wary of reporting sick cattle, given poultry producers are often forced to cull entire flocks experiencing H5N1 outbreaks, Armstrong said.

More human cases could also be happening under the radar among farm workers who've moved to the U.S. from abroad, don't speak English as their first language, and may be hesitant to seek medical help, he added.

"So I think there's probably underreporting on both sides," Armstrong said. 

"If [H5N1] gets into a population where there's constantly animals going in and out … it might not ever leave."

DJ, Economic damage may result in NOT reporting...even human (mild) cases...Lots of countries WILL miss spread...

Academic Medicine

@AcadMedJournal

·

12h

A Call for #OneHealth in #MedEd: How the #COVID19 Pandemic Underscores the Need to Integrate Human, Animal, and Environmental Health: https://ow.ly/rVxf50R6PI4. #WorldHealthDay

link [url]https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2021/07000/a_call_for_one_health_in_medical_education__how.31.aspx?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=acadmedjournal&utm_content=f9f6f3b2-fb50-495b-8c47-6dcc2a9312fa[/url] or https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2021/07000/a_call_for_one_health_in_medical_education__how.31.aspx?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=acadmedjournal&utm_content=f9f6f3b2-fb50-495b-8c47-6dcc2a9312fa ;

Abstract

DJ...sad to see this 2021 article -like many other calls for "one health"- simply is ignored to "save the economy"...

DJ, number of US farms with H5N1 in cattle keeps increasing-in part because testing keeps increasing...I do NOT believe -for a moment- only US cows catch H5N1...

link; [url]https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4579276-chickens-and-cattle-hit-with-massive-bird-flu-outbreak-will-food-prices-go-up/[/url] or https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4579276-chickens-and-cattle-hit-with-massive-bird-flu-outbreak-will-food-prices-go-up/ ;

DJ-Yes...it will push up food prices...There are alternatives for meat and eggs...

link; [url]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893924000358[/url] or https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893924000358 ;

This divergence from the typical avian host raises alarms, as avian influenza rarely infects cattle. The USDA's confirmation of HPAI A(H5N1) presence in multiple herds, particularly in states not historically associated with avian influenza outbreaks, underscores the gravity of the situation.

The identified strain, belonging to the Eurasian lineage of H5N1 goose/Guangdong virus clade 2.3.4.4b, is suspected to have been introduced by wild migratory birds. 

Symptoms exhibited by infected cows, including decreased milk production, altered milk consistency, and diminished appetite, further accentuate the severity of the situation. 

Furthermore, the emergence of the virus in a human case in Texas, although with low risk of transmission, accentuates the need for heightened vigilance and response measures.

DJ, as far as I know the US spread in cows and cats is the same "clade/subvariant" that did see spread in sealions in South America...Somehow "some countries" fail to look beyond their own borders...

H5N1 is NOT ONLY a US story !!! There is no point in calling for "one health" if you are unable to "think" outside -in this case- the US !

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-new-measles-d8-variant-in-italy-that-evades-current-test-spreading-silently-in-italy-with-over-231-cases-in-the-first-three-months-of-2024[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-new-measles-d8-variant-in-italy-that-evades-current-test-spreading-silently-in-italy-with-over-231-cases-in-the-first-three-months-of-2024 

DJ-Did the CoViD-pandemic "open the doors" to lots of other diseases in mammals ? 

"We" ignored CoViD in non-human hosts..."one health" not much more than a good idea...We ignored H5N1 spread-around the globe-from birds into mammals...We knew it happened already a few years ago...Dead infected birds were eaten...so the virus could/would spread...and we let it happen...

Picking up dead infected birds was "not cost effective" in the "short term"...somehow we are now "surprised" in the somewhat longer term ? 

[url]https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/04/articles/animals/other-animals/dairy-cattle-and-h5n1-flu-update/[/url] or https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/04/articles/animals/other-animals/dairy-cattle-and-h5n1-flu-update/ ;

DJ, more, better, fast testing may;

-result in ( a few more) detections

-so we could expect number of infected farms/states with H5N1 in cows to increase

-find out IF there is any spread outside the US

link; [url]https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-discovered-u-s-dairy-cows-disturbing[/url] or https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-discovered-u-s-dairy-cows-disturbing (march 26-no new info)

DJ- For now "indications" H5N1 in cattle may be a US issue...H5N1 is high risk in lots of mammals (Sealions, cats, minks) but -so far- NOT detected in cows outside the US...

------

[url]https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/vietnam/current-emergency-situations-ab/988308-vietnam-khanh-hoa-department-of-health-%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bissued-an-emergency-dispatch-to-a-series-of-students-in-nha-trang-suspected-of-food-poisoning?view=stream[/url] or https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/vietnam/current-emergency-situations-ab/988308-vietnam-khanh-hoa-department-of-health-%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bissued-an-emergency-dispatch-to-a-series-of-students-in-nha-trang-suspected-of-food-poisoning?view=stream ;

April 8, 2024 09:44 GMT+7

Food poisoning in Nha Trang: When will there be a definitive answer?

author
HUYNH HIEU

That was the question the people of Nha Trang city asked the authorities of Khanh Hoa province, when in less than a month, three consecutive food poisoning cases occurred with more than 400 people infected.

A very rare number of poisonings in a locality and very worrying when it occurs in a famous tourist city.

The first was the mass food poisoning case from Tram Anh chicken rice restaurant with 368 residents and tourists.

Next was the collective poisoning incident with more than 10 students at Nguyen Van Troi High School. And most recently, on April 5, more than 30 students in Vinh Truong ward were hospitalized. But the most shocking thing was the sudden, unknown death of a 5th grade student at Vinh Truong Primary School (after eating sushi and chicken rice).

This death reminds many people of the sudden death of a 1st grade student at iSchool Nha Trang more than a year ago, in the case of 665 students suffering from chicken rice poisoning - the largest school food poisoning case in Vietnam. ever.

DJ...chicken with H5N1 ????? So "food poisening" might be linked to H5N1 ????

BIRD HUNTING AVIAN FLU DEATH—WHO reports that a 21 year old young man with no underlying conditions suddenly died of #avianflu in Vietnam. He started with a cough/fever, but died 12 days later with severe pneumonia and ARDS. He had only gone bird hunting recently. BE CAREFUL.

...related ????

DJ, South East Asian H5N1 spread-possibly coinfections with other types of flu-in humans, pigs, may be more of a risk then the US-"cow-flu"...

Very likely poultry workers worldwide also "run H5N1 risks"...masks/eye-protection should be "the norm"...

Helen Branswell 

@HelenBranswell

·

7h

The number of dairy cow herds where #H5N1 #birdflu infection has been detected has increased to 20, in 6 states. It was 17 yesterday. Breakdown is: Texas, 9; NM, 4; Kansas, 3; Mich, 2; Idaho & Ohio, 1 each. https://aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock

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DJ...if the US is SPREADING !!!! H5N1 via "poultry litter"  getting cows, cats (etc???) infected maybe an international court can "correct" the US ???

link; [url]https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2024/04/08/researchers-continue-look-source[/url] or https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2024/04/08/researchers-continue-look-source ;

REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- As the influenza virus is found in more dairy herds in several states, veterinarians and researchers continue to find out more about the illness. So far, no cows have died, but the virus already has caused about 20% income loss in affected operations.

"I hate to compare this to COVID, but as we find out new things every day, I feel like it's the same thing we heard during the pandemic," said Fred Gingrich, executive director of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. "We are finding out new things daily about this virus and how it's affecting infected dairy cows. We didn't know anything about this until now."

Gingrich said influenza in animals is treated the same as it is in people, with supportive care. There's no real treatment since it is a virus. Instead, cows are given extra fluids, offered proper nutrition, and given anti-inflammatory medicines if a secondary infection is found such as mastitis or pneumonia.

-

Affected dairy cows are reported as being off feed, which is likely the first indication of sickness. Their milk is thick, and thus, they are getting pulled from the milking herd and usually tested first for mastitis. Their manure appears tacky during this sickness.

"Cows are pulled on day two to five and put in the hospital pen for surveillance and treatment. It seems to be affecting about 10% of the herd, and by day 14 to 21, the cows have recovered," he added. "A decrease in milk production is a big effect on these herds. We will see up to a 20-pound loss in production per cow, which, in the end, is a 20% loss in income for these producers."

DJ..so sick cows with H5N1 are NOT isolated from other (ill) cows ????

DJ, Cows infecting humans is NOT new!

—"Experts fear that H5N1 avian flu… may have been transmitted through a type of cattle feed called “poultry litter”—mix of poultry poop, spilled feed, feathers, and other waste scraped from the floors of industrial chicken and turkey production plants."

DJ, many experts must be shocked....

The "good news" is poultry litter may explain why we do not see H5N1 in cows outside the US....The bad news is this "habbit" did infect very likely hundreds of US farm animals with H5N1...further spreading H5N1-creating new recombinations/variants and increasing risks of H5N1 in pigs...Do US pigs also "eat" poultry litter ? 

Is the US government stopping that H5N1 spread via poultry litter ???

---------

Human H5N1 risks may be highest in SE Asia...

[url]https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/news-of-cats-dying-from-h5n1-in-texas-raises-alarms-as-dairy-cows-and-even-a-human-have-already-been-infected-with-the-new-strain[/url] or https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/news-of-cats-dying-from-h5n1-in-texas-raises-alarms-as-dairy-cows-and-even-a-human-have-already-been-infected-with-the-new-strain 

DJ-H5N1 spread in US cows -if linked to poultry litter-feeding cows with -possibly infected- chicken "residu"-may be contained.

One may hope poultry litter and US pigs "did NOT mix"...is there any testing in pigs eating poultry litter ???

Farm pets but also rats, mice, may be another story...A lot of farm cats are half wild...Death cats-possibly infected-may be eaten by other animals spreading -possibly- a "cat H5N1"....

-Lots of H5N1 infections with no or only mild symptoms -in humans/mammals- will be missed,

-CoViD -but also measles- does decrease immunity for other diseases.

-A-symptomatic spread may be a main driver starting a pandemic

For that matter it would be welcome to know how many H5N1 infections result in a/mild symptoms...if 95% of (human) infections would stay under the radar-only 5% get "serious symptoms" only 1-in-20 H5N1 infections may be noticed...All the time H5N1 may pick up new mutations...

Again-we are NOT YET in a H5N1 pandemic but we are much to close to it...

DJ, A "good" reason would be to find out what animals get "poultry litter"...Can it explain (all) cases of H5N1 in US cows...If so-why was it allowed ????

[url]https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/offlu-statement-on-hpai-in-cows.html[/url] or https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/04/offlu-statement-on-hpai-in-cows.html ;

The USDA has added 5 more outbreaks of HPAI H5 to their list (2 in Texas, 2 in New Mexico, 1 in Michigan), although the number of states reporting outbreaks remains at 6.  Since testing remains on a voluntary basis - and currently only symptomatic dairy cows are recommended for testing - we've no idea how widespread the virus really is. 

Nor do we know if the HPAI H5 virus is infecting livestock in other regions of the world.  Or if it is affecting other livestock beyond cattle (e.g. goats, pigs, alpacas, etc.). 

While there are legitimate logistical problems inherent in widespread testing (see discussion here), this is a situation where ignorance is far from bliss.  We can hope that cows are a dead-end host, and that dairy cows will clear the virus in a few weeks and return to production, but no one really knows what the long-term impact of HPAI in cattle will be. 

Over the weekend, the The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) announced in an open letter that they would now refer to the disease in cattle as BIAV (Bovine Influenza A Virus), and would encourage others to do the same.

From a public relations standpoint, I understand their motivation, but simply calling is something `less scary' doesn't change the threat.  Somewhat surprisingly, I'm seeing some state agriculture departments already adopting this nomenclature.  

As far as I know, it is still the purview of WOAH to name animal diseases, so unless or until they change their naming conventions, I'll continue to use HPAI. 

Yesterday, OFFLU - the WOAH/FAO joint network of expertise on avian influenza - published a brief update on HPAI in cattle (see below). While it doesn't add a lot we haven't already seen, it illustrates how seriously they take these developments. 

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And the longer HPAI circulates in livestock, the better the chances that it will accrue host adaptations, which could conceivably increase its threat over time. 

Which means we need to be willing to test far more aggressively, across a wider range of susceptible animals, if we hope to stay ahead of this evolving threat. 

DJ, ....could poultry litter be used to feed pigs in the US - if not why not ? My "fear" is H5N1 may be also be in US pigs...

So "cover it up"? " Saving "the economy"....

Again-NO reports -so far- from outside the US of cows with H5N1. Poultry litter may be seen in many places as high risk-given that H5N1 in poultry is a "major problem"...So is the US the only (important) country using poultry litter as food for cows...

IF...a very major "IF" poultry litter may have resulted in lots of farm animals (cattle, pigs, sheep) getting H5N1 there may be a food problem...

Eggs was already an issue, inflation is a major problem...so -the last thing needed- is widespread H5N1 in farm animals...

It does worsen pandemic perspectives...

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DJ, the problem is much larger than just US cows...

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