Why a teenager's bird-flu infection is leaving scientists concerned
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Why a teenager's bird-flu infection is leaving scientists concerned

India Today  

A teenager in Vancouver, Canada, is in critical condition after contracting an H5N1 avian influenza virus, raising concerns among researchers about the virus's potential to adapt to humans. Genome sequencing suggests that the virus has mutations that might enhance its ability to infect human airway cells, sparking fears about its evolution, according to a report in Nature. The virus shares similarities with strains circulating in poultry and waterfowl but carries three critical mutations: two that could help it infect human cells and one that might aid replication in human hosts. Researchers believe these mutations may have evolved within the infected teenager, as the virus initially caused an eye infection that progressed to severe lung infection.

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History of this topic

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster
6 days, 19 hours ago

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu has seen a resurgence in the U.S. this year, with California leading the pack. Since 2022, millions of egg-laying chickens have been exposed to, infected with and culled or killed by H5N1 in the U.S. What stands out this year is how widespread the infection has been among dairy cows, which are spreading it to farmworkers — the …

Could bird flu trigger another pandemic?
1 week, 5 days ago

Could bird flu trigger another pandemic?

Firstpost  

The deadly bird flu variant H5N1 is spreading more widely than ever before. Reuters H5N1 bird flu, a type of avian influenza, is once again making headlines after dozens of people in the United States were infected with the virus. Late last month, the headline of an opinion piece in the New York Times stated, “A bird flu pandemic would …

We're Pandemic Experts. Here's What Worries Us Most About Bird Flu.
1 week, 5 days ago

We're Pandemic Experts. Here's What Worries Us Most About Bird Flu.

Huff Post  

Jonathan R. Beckerman via Getty Images Experts are concerned for farm workers who are most likely to get sick from bird flu. you might be able to give the H5N1 virus genes that make it more virulent in people or that make it possible to transmit more easily from person to person, and that’s definitely something we want to prevent.” …

Health Experts Warn of Bird Flu's Pandemic Threat
1 week, 5 days ago

Health Experts Warn of Bird Flu's Pandemic Threat

Deccan Chronicle  

Paris: Health experts have been sounding the alarm about the potential pandemic threat posed by bird flu, which has been showing signs of mutating as it spreads among cows and infects people in the United States. The deadly bird flu variant H5N1 first emerged in China in 1996, but over the last four years it has sp More than 300 …

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds
2 weeks, 3 days ago

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds

Salon  

As the number of human bird flu cases continues to rise and more dairy farms across the country report outbreaks, scientists are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus will mutate to better infect people. In the lab, the authors of the study found that a single mutation in the primary protein, hemagglutinin could give it the ability to cling onto …

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say

LA Times  

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human infections and possibly even a pandemic, according to some experts. In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Scripps Research Institute biologists determined that a single …

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance
1 month ago

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance

Salon  

As flu season nears, Europe is increasing surveillance for human cases of H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu. “We’ve updated our guidance to include milder symptoms in individuals exposed to birds or other animals,” Angeliki Melidou, principal expert in respiratory viruses at the ECDC, told The Telegraph. “The priority is to strengthen surveillance and ensure we monitor and follow …

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports
1 month ago

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports

Salon  

The state of California has detected a possible bird flu infection in a child in the Bay Area. The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected. Related Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu Although there have …

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu
1 month, 1 week ago

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is …

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition
1 month, 1 week ago

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition

LA Times  

Canadian health officials announced Tuesday that a teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu from an unknown source is in critical condition. However, Nuzzo said, while this virus could “be a lot less deadly than what we’ve seen to date,” it could also be far more deadly than any pandemic in a long time, including COVID-19. Her third concern is how …

A Canadian teen is in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu
1 month, 1 week ago

A Canadian teen is in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu, a British Columbia health official said Tuesday. It’s not clear how the teenager picked up the virus, which has been detected recently in wild birds and poultry in the province, said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. Henry said the teen …

Bird flu: Canada teen in critical condition with H5 virus
1 month, 1 week ago

Bird flu: Canada teen in critical condition with H5 virus

CNN  

CNN — A Canadian teenager is hospitalized in critical condition with bird flu, health officials reported Tuesday. People with ARDS typically need help breathing with machines such as a ventilator, but officials did not offer specifics on the teen’s treatment except to say they’re receiving antiviral medications. These cases have all been among adults, however, and Henry said it’s possible …

Alarming development as mutated bird flu strain that is 30x deadlier leaves American infected
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Alarming development as mutated bird flu strain that is 30x deadlier leaves American infected

Daily Mail  

Doctors are expressing alarm about a mutated form of bird flu that infected a farm worker in Texas. Government-backed researchers took a sample of the virus, infected mice and ferrets with it and found it had evolved to become far deadlier than the wild strain currently spreading on US farms. Researchers have suggested that drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected …

As California bird flu outbreak worsens, a Missouri patient who caught it is alarming experts
2 months, 1 week ago

As California bird flu outbreak worsens, a Missouri patient who caught it is alarming experts

Salon  

The H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, has created an enduring crisis this year, massacring millions of birds and other wild animals, while stirring outbreaks in dairy farms across the U.S. As the number of confirmed bird flu cases continues to climb in various states across the country, many public health experts are anxiously awaiting results from testing performed …

Bird flu outbreak worries Australia
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Bird flu outbreak worries Australia

China Daily  

With eggs in short supply and avian influenza spreading across Australian farms, the outbreak has the country on edge. "The bird flu situation in Australia is increasingly alarming, particularly due to the threat posed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain, which has not yet reached the continent," said associate professor Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam, a molecular virologist with the …

As human cases of bird flu grow, feds say flu vaccine could help prevent a new pandemic
4 months, 3 weeks ago

As human cases of bird flu grow, feds say flu vaccine could help prevent a new pandemic

LA Times  

A turkey farm near Manson, Iowa. Federal officials say the number of poultry workers infected with H5N1 bird flu has climbed. Although health officials say the risk of H5N1 bird flu infection is still low for the general population, they announced on Monday a $5-million plan to offer seasonal flu vaccine to livestock workers. Officials said they are launching this …

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing
54 years, 11 months ago

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing

Wired  

Ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza have decimated poultry flocks and wild birds across the United States and worldwide. On July 25, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an additional three human cases, bringing the total number of US cases to 13 since April. “These cases are not entirely surprising given that these people were working with infected …

US Bird flu outbreak: From vaccine to transmission, all you need to know
4 months, 3 weeks ago

US Bird flu outbreak: From vaccine to transmission, all you need to know

Hindustan Times  

After H5N1 bird flu was detected at dairy farms, researchers confirmed the respiratory virus had spread to other animals. In a study, rush-released by the journal Nature on July 25 after an initial peer review, the researchers reported a “spillover of HPAI H5N1 virus in dairy cattle herds.” They were also able to detect cattle-to-cat and cattle-to-raccoon transmission, highlighting, as …

US: Four human bird flu infections found in Colorado, health dept warns H5N1 could cause pandemic
5 months, 1 week ago

US: Four human bird flu infections found in Colorado, health dept warns H5N1 could cause pandemic

India TV News  

Colorado reported four confirmed infections of H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry workers, and is checking on the status of a fifth suspected case, health authorities said on Sunday. Human infections with H5N1 avian flu could cause severe disease and even a pandemic if the virus were to change and acquire the ability to spread easily between people, the US …

Bird flu seems to be slowly mutating to better infect humans. Experts warn the time to act is now
5 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu seems to be slowly mutating to better infect humans. Experts warn the time to act is now

Salon  

In late March, a worker on a commercial dairy farm in Texas developed a case of pink eye. “There's good news and bad news,” co-author of the study Keith Poulson, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told Salon. Indeed, in the last part of the study scientists discovered that unlike older strains of H5N1, this one has the capacity …

Health experts raise alarm over US response to bird flu
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Health experts raise alarm over US response to bird flu

China Daily  

Three months after the first detection of bird flu in US dairy cows, experts are expressing growing concern about the government's response and the potential for a deadly pandemic. Since avian influenza A, also known as "bird flu", was for the first time detected in dairy cows on March 25, the number of infected herds continues to rise. "In the …

Does H5N1 pose a threat for humans? | Explained
6 months ago

Does H5N1 pose a threat for humans? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 strain has been affecting cattle across several States in the U.S., and for the first time, three cases of human infection in dairy farm workers were also reported, raising fears of the risks of a wider transmission of this virus from cattle to humans. The districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and …

Bird flu is highly lethal to some animals, but not to others. Scientists want to know why
6 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu is highly lethal to some animals, but not to others. Scientists want to know why

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — In the last two years, bird flu has been blamed for the deaths of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. That’s “a little bit of a head scratcher,” although there are some likely explanations, said Richard Webby, a flu researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The flu strain’s ability to lodge in …

Bird flu: Why the latest H5N1 case in Michigan is a real cause for concern.
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu: Why the latest H5N1 case in Michigan is a real cause for concern.

Slate  

This article was republished from Sequencer with updates to reflect additional information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last week that a third person in the U.S. has tested positive for a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The two Great Lakes State residents worked on different farms; we also know that for the first time, this third case …

H5N1 bird flu: Centre asks States to be vigilant
6 months, 3 weeks ago

H5N1 bird flu: Centre asks States to be vigilant

The Hindu  

The Centre has asked all States to be vigilant for any unusual deaths amongst the domestic birds and poultry, and share the information with the Animal Husbandry Department immediately so that public health action can be initiated as per the national action plan for Avian influenza. A joint advisory issued on May 25 by the National Centre for Disease Control …

What is bird flu and what do we know about the two strains detected in Victoria?
7 months ago

What is bird flu and what do we know about the two strains detected in Victoria?

ABC  

Two different strains of avian influenza — also known as "bird flu" — have been detected in Victoria. The transmission of avian influenza from birds or animals to humans is "very rare," Victoria's Department of Health said in a statement. Clare Looker, Victoria's chief health officer, said the avian influenza was "much less transmissible" than the seasonal flu and she …

Australia confirms first human case of bird flu
7 months ago

Australia confirms first human case of bird flu

India Today  

Australia has confirmed its first human case of avian influenza in a child who may have been "infected by the virus in India" but has now since fully recovered. "This is the first confirmed human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Australia," said Dr Claire Looker, Victoria's chief health officer, in a statement. NEW STRAIN OF BIRD FLU IN …

Inadequate bird flu testing is making pandemic experts concerned we're "flying blind" with H5N1
7 months, 1 week ago

Inadequate bird flu testing is making pandemic experts concerned we're "flying blind" with H5N1

Salon  

After public health officials confirmed H5N1, the virus also known as bird flu, jumped from poultry to cows and recently infected an American, they’ve warned that if the virus strain made its way to pigs, it could be a time to press the panic button. This specific trait might allow the virus to sp “The biggest question is whether cows …

Human cases of bird flu 'an enormous concern': WHO
8 months ago

Human cases of bird flu 'an enormous concern': WHO

The Hindu  

The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an "extraordinarily high" mortality rate. "This remains I think an enormous concern," the UN health agency's chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva. But in the hundreds of cases where humans have been infected through contact with …

Fresh bird flu pandemic fears as WHO warns outbreak is of 'enormous concern' and would have 'extraordinarily high' death rates
8 months ago

Fresh bird flu pandemic fears as WHO warns outbreak is of 'enormous concern' and would have 'extraordinarily high' death rates

Daily Mail  

The increasing spread of bird flu to humans is an 'enormous concern', the World Health Organization has warned. Experts at the World Health Organization said the strain humans face an 'extraordinarily high' mortality rate if it were to take hold, currently killing more than half of those infected. Jeremy Farrar, the UN health agency's chief scientist, said: 'This remains I …

WHO Voices Alarm At Rising Bird Flu Cases, Calls It 'Enormous Concern'
8 months ago

WHO Voices Alarm At Rising Bird Flu Cases, Calls It 'Enormous Concern'

News 18  

The World Health Organization voiced alarm Thursday at the growing spread of H5N1 bird flu to new species, including humans, who face an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate. “This remains I think an enormous concern,” the UN health agency’s chief scientist Jeremy Farrar told reporters in Geneva. But in the hundreds of cases where humans have been infected through contact with …

Human bird flu cases ’an enormous concern’: WHO flags surge in H5N1 cases with ‘extraordinarily high’ mortality
8 months ago

Human bird flu cases ’an enormous concern’: WHO flags surge in H5N1 cases with ‘extraordinarily high’ mortality

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization has voiced concern as bird flu or avian influenza continues to cross the species barrier with increasing frequency. The UN health body said on Thursday that the strain has become “a global zoonotic animal pandemic” with human victims displaying an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate. Other animals infected with avian influenza viruses may have virus present in …

You Don't Need to Worry About A Bird Flu Pandemic Just Yet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

You Don't Need to Worry About A Bird Flu Pandemic Just Yet

The Quint  

A bird flu outbreak was confirmed in Kerala's Alappuzha, after ducks in two districts tested positive for it. This comes days after a dairy farm worker in Texas tested positive for the H5N1 virus - the first time that avian flu has transmitted to humans from cattle. "It has the potential to cause a pandemic that is 100 times worse …

Bird flu alert in US after Texas man gets infected with virus
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu alert in US after Texas man gets infected with virus

India Today  

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued a health alert to inform clinicians, state health departments and the public of a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus. The farm worker from Texas was reported to be infected on April 1, making it …

'100 Times Worse Than Covid': Experts Raise Alarm Over Potential Bird Flu Pandemic
8 months, 2 weeks ago

'100 Times Worse Than Covid': Experts Raise Alarm Over Potential Bird Flu Pandemic

News 18  

Experts have raised alarm over the potential threat of a bird flu pandemic, warning that it could be ‘100 times worse than Covid’ and potentially lead to fatalities in up to half of those infected. During the briefing, Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi, a prominent bird flu researcher in Pittsburgh, warned that H5N1 has the potential to cause a pandemic, given its …

What to know about the latest bird flu outbreak in the US
8 months, 2 weeks ago

What to know about the latest bird flu outbreak in the US

Associated Press  

A poultry facility in Michigan and egg producer in Texas both reported outbreaks of avian flu this week. The latest developments on the virus also include infected dairy cows and the first known instance of a human catching bird flu from a mammal. U.S. health officials have stressed that the current public health risk is low and that there is …

Current bird flu variant could spread to people via pigs, Ministers warn
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Current bird flu variant could spread to people via pigs, Ministers warn

NL Times  

The possibility exists that the currently circulating variant of the highly contagious bird flu virus could infect pig farms and then spread to people, Ministers Piet Ademan and Conny Helder said in a preparation document sent to parliament on Monday. Pigs that roam outdoors and come into contact with wild water birds, in particular, form a possible bridge to humans, …

Bird Flu: WHO issues warning after H1N1 strain infects cats in countries
1 year, 4 months ago

Bird Flu: WHO issues warning after H1N1 strain infects cats in countries

Live Mint  

In a bizarre development, the World Health Organization reported an that several cats have died in regions in Poland in the past few days. Notably, avian influenza rarely affects domestic animals, but cases in cats have been associated with consuming raw sick or dead wild birds or being in contaminated environments. The majority of infected cats lived indoors with partial …

Bird flu might infect humans ‘more easily’, UN agencies warns: What it means
1 year, 5 months ago

Bird flu might infect humans ‘more easily’, UN agencies warns: What it means

Hindustan Times  

Amid avian flu outbreaks globally, three UN agencies warned that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily, urging countries to strengthen disease surveillance and improve hygiene at poultry farms. This comes as a new highly contagious H5N1 strain of bird flu among wild birds spread to new geographical regions, raising fears of a pandemic among humans. “There is …

Bird flu: Scientists find mutations, say threat is still low
1 year, 8 months ago

Bird flu: Scientists find mutations, say threat is still low

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A man in Chile is infected with a bird flu that has concerning mutations, but the threat to people from the virus remains low, U.S. health officials said Friday. Past animal studies suggest these mutations could cause the virus to be more harmful or sp The mutations do not change public health officials’ assessment of the overall …

First H3N8 bird flu victim may have caught virus from a WET MARKET
1 year, 8 months ago

First H3N8 bird flu victim may have caught virus from a WET MARKET

Daily Mail  

The H3N8 strain is not normally thought to spread between humans Samples later taken from the wet market tested positive for influenza A The woman first became ill on February, 22 and died on March, 16 A Chinese woman who became the first person to ever die from the H3N8 strain of bird flu may have caught the killer strain …

Bird flu outbreak: Will it cause the next pandemic?
1 year, 9 months ago

Bird flu outbreak: Will it cause the next pandemic?

Hindustan Times  

Scientists are already talking about the largest observed avian influenza epidemic in European history. All the people who tested positive for the new avian flu lineage had had close contact with wild birds, said Richard Pebody, head of the High-threat Pathogen Team at WHO/Europe. In order for avian flu H5N1 to sp But researchers have expressed some concern that the …

WHO concerned about bird flu cases in humans after girl’s death in Cambodia
1 year, 9 months ago

WHO concerned about bird flu cases in humans after girl’s death in Cambodia

The Hindu  

The World Health Organisation expressed concern about bird flu on February 24 after the father of an 11-year-old Cambodian girl who died from the disease also tested positive, raising fears of human-to-human transmission. "The global H5N1 situation is worrying given the wide spread of the virus in birds around the world, and the increasing reports of cases in mammals including …

Flu experts meet over H5N1 threat to humans amid record bird deaths globally
1 year, 9 months ago

Flu experts meet over H5N1 threat to humans amid record bird deaths globally

Hindustan Times  

The world's leading experts on influenza met this week to discuss the threat posed to humans by a strain of H5N1 avian flu that has caused record numbers of bird deaths around the world in recent months. At this week's meeting, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b was a key topic, the World Health Organization and global flu experts told Reuters. Experts have …

Bird flu may now be spreading between humans, WHO fears
1 year, 9 months ago

Bird flu may now be spreading between humans, WHO fears

The Telegraph  

The World Health Organisation is “really concerned” the current bird flu outbreak may now be spreading between people for the first time in more than 25 years. The WHO has ordered a new bird flu vaccine to be made in response to the rapid spread of the strain of H5N1 avian influenza causing the current outbreak. An 11-year-old girl died …

Why Public Health Officials Are Not Panicked About Bird Flu? An Analysis
1 year, 10 months ago

Why Public Health Officials Are Not Panicked About Bird Flu? An Analysis

News 18  

A new strain of bird flu that transmits easily among wild birds has triggered an explosive spread into new corners of the globe, infecting and killing a variety of mammals species and raising fears of a pandemic more lethal than COVID-19. But the very changes that have allowed the virus to infect wild birds so efficiently likely made it harder …

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu
1 year, 10 months ago

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited …

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu
1 year, 10 months ago

Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people. Scientists have been keeping tabs on this bird flu virus since the 1950s, though it wasn’t deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong among visitors to live poultry markets. Scientists worry about …

Bird flu continues to spread in mammals: Do humans need to worry?
1 year, 10 months ago

Bird flu continues to spread in mammals: Do humans need to worry?

Firstpost  

As bird flu continues to decimate poultry and wild bird populations around the world, the virus — a deadly strain called H5N1 — appears to be spreading to mammals. But when they spread into poultry, some subtypes of the virus can evolve into forms that are highly infectious and deadly, and can rapidly spread and kill domestic birds. How the …

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