Bird flu tests being developed as number of human cases rise across the country
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Bird flu tests being developed as number of human cases rise across the country

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 Several labs will work with federal health authorities to develop a test for avian influenza, as the number of human cases rise across the country. The CDC currently recommends testing for the virus by public health laboratories using “real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain-reaction,” or rRT-PCR. In August, ARUP Laboratories said it was ready to scale up its testing capacity and had updated the CDC’s test to match the current strain of avian flu, known as H5N1. “Even if bird flu never becomes a huge thing, making a test is a minimal investment when you consider the huge public health impact it can have,” Dr Benjamin Bradley said.

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History of this topic

US records its first human death from bird flu
Trending News
2 days, 4 hours ago

US records its first human death from bird flu

Live Mint  

The first human death linked to bird flu has been reported in the United States, health authorities in Louisiana announced Monday, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions. ‘Risk of Human-to-Human Transmission Low’ The announcement in mid-December of the patient being in “critical condition” sparked alarm that the United States could see an outbreak of a possible bird flu …

US reports first bird flu-related human death in Louisiana, health authorities issue statement
2 days, 7 hours ago

US reports first bird flu-related human death in Louisiana, health authorities issue statement

India TV News  

Bird flu in US: The United States has recorded its first human fatality linked to bird flu, as confirmed by Louisiana's Department of Health. In an official statement, the Louisiana Department of Health stated the patient, who had been hospitalised after contracting H5N1 from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, has passed away. The …

Worries as avian flu virus breaches species barriers
2 days, 12 hours ago

Worries as avian flu virus breaches species barriers

Hindustan Times  

In the span of a month, H5N1 has killed three tigers and a leopard in India, 11 house cats in California, and forced a teenage girl in Canada onto life support. The virus, which is better known as the avian influenza virus and is mostly prevalent in birds, spreading through dairy farms across America for much of 2024, appears to …

First bird flu death reported in the U.S., according to the CDC
3 days, 7 hours ago

First bird flu death reported in the U.S., according to the CDC

NPR  

First bird flu death reported in the U.S., according to the CDC toggle caption Callista Images/Getty Images The U.S. has recorded its first death of a person infected with bird flu. Sponsor Message "We have 20-plus years of data showing that it's a pretty nasty virus," said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of …

America’s first bird flu death reported in Louisiana
3 days, 7 hours ago

America’s first bird flu death reported in Louisiana

CNN  

CNN — The first person to have a severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Since 2003, there have been roughly 900 human bird flu infections reported globally, and about half of those people have died, according to the World Health Organization. The Louisiana patient was infected with …

I’m an Emergency Physician Keeping an Eye on Bird Flu. It’s Getting Dicey.
1 week, 1 day ago

I’m an Emergency Physician Keeping an Eye on Bird Flu. It’s Getting Dicey.

Slate  

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. All year, I’ve been keeping tabs on the H5N1 avian flu outbreak in dairy cattle and birds in the United States. This isn’t the first time bird flu has circulated in animals, though the outbreak that began in 2024 …

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager
1 week, 2 days ago

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager

LA Times  

A California Department of Food and Agriculture technician perform tests on chickens for bird flu in 2006 at the Best Live Poultry & Fish store in Sylmar. The fate of a Canadian teenager who was infected with H5N1 bird flu in early November, and subsequently admitted to an intensive care unit, has finally been revealed: She has fully recovered. But …

Bird flu may be mutating to become more transmissible to humans say scientists after woman caught first severe case in the US
1 week, 4 days ago

Bird flu may be mutating to become more transmissible to humans say scientists after woman caught first severe case in the US

Daily Mail  

Bird flu could be mutating to become more transmissible to humans, scientists have warned, as the US reported its first severe case that left one woman hospitalised. So far 65 confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection have been reported in 2024, following a widespread outbreak across bird and cattle farms in the United States. Pictured: Culling has begun at infected …

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets
1 week, 5 days ago

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets

NPR  

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets NPR's Scott Simon talks to Kristen Coleman, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Maryland, about the recent cases of bird flu in cats and what steps to take to protect pets. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: U.S. health officials are warning pet owners, …

This Disease Is Likely To Be Biggest Emerging Problem In 2025
Trending News
2 weeks ago

This Disease Is Likely To Be Biggest Emerging Problem In 2025

ABP News  

Nottingham, Dec 26 COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Indeed, bird flu can infect humans with 61 cases in the US this year already, mostly resulting from farm workers coming into contact with infected cattle and people drinking raw milk. Coupling this with a 30% mortality rate from human infections, bird flu is …

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
2 weeks, 2 days ago

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Salon  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

Bird flu outbreak hits Britain's turkey farms as tens of thousands are culled and rest ordered to be kept indoors days before Christmas
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Bird flu outbreak hits Britain's turkey farms as tens of thousands are culled and rest ordered to be kept indoors days before Christmas

Daily Mail  

Turkey farms have been hit by an outbreak of bird flu as tens of thousands of birds have been culled and ordered to be kept indoors just before Christmas. This is the first outbreak of bird flu in captive animals since February and no humans have yet been infected with the risk of spread to people remaining very low. Avian …

California declared an emergency. How serious is bird flu?
2 weeks, 6 days ago

California declared an emergency. How serious is bird flu?

Associated Press  

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S. That raises new questions about the virus, which has spread for years in wild birds, commercial poultry and many mammal species. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized …

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases
Trending News
3 weeks ago

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases

India Today  

The US reported its first severe human case of bird flu on Wednesday in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalised in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. Severe respiratory illness in the Louisiana patient shows increased health risks for people from the virus that previously caused eye redness, or conjunctivitis, in infected dairy workers. "The mild …

CDC Confirms First US Case of Severe Bird Flu
55 years ago

CDC Confirms First US Case of Severe Bird Flu

Wired  

The United States has now seen dozens of human bird flu cases this year, all of them mild—until now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Wednesday that a patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus. An investigation by the Louisiana Department of Health and CDC has determined …

U.S. Health Officials Confirm First Severe Case Of Bird Flu, California Declares Emergency
3 weeks ago

U.S. Health Officials Confirm First Severe Case Of Bird Flu, California Declares Emergency

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Health officials on Wednesday confirmed the first known severe illness in the U.S. caused by bird flu, and California’s governor declared a state of emergency as the virus rampages through dairy cattle in that state. A person in Louisiana is hospitalized in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms caused by a bird flu infection, state health officials …

Bird flu hospitalizes person in Louisiana, the first severe infection in U.S.
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Bird flu hospitalizes person in Louisiana, the first severe infection in U.S.

Salon  

A person has been hospitalized with bird flu in Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking the first time since the outbreak began that an infection with the H5N1 virus reached such severity. Although another severe case hospitalized in a teenager in Canada last month, this is the first severe case reported in the U.S. Related …

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster
3 weeks, 2 days 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 …

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu

Wired  

This story originally appeared on Inside Climate News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “It’s a lot of trouble.” Further north and west, in the San Joaquin Valley—the heart of the state’s dairy industry—the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, has rippled through the massive herds that provide most of the country’s milk. The Centers for Disease …

Could bird flu trigger another pandemic?
4 weeks 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 …

Health Experts Warn of Bird Flu's Pandemic Threat
4 weeks, 1 day 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 …

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns
1 month ago

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns

Deccan Chronicle  

The US government has taken steps to better monitor the spread of bird flu among dairy cows, ordering testing of the nation’s milk supply for the H5N1 virus. While bird flu is typically associated with poultry, recent evidence suggests that it has begun spreading to cows, with initial reports indicating transmission through a single event likely in late 2023. Although …

Arizona sees first case of human bird flu as government begins testing milk for virus
1 month ago

Arizona sees first case of human bird flu as government begins testing milk for virus

Raw Story  

Bird flu has officially jumped from birds to infect two people in Arizona, AZFamily reported Friday. While cases of the disease, known as Type A H5N1, jumping to humans in California have previously been reported, this is the first case in Arizona, the report said. In March, the first case of bird flu was detected in U.S. cows' milk. "The …

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

Here's why bird flu fears are intensifying
1 month, 1 week ago

Here's why bird flu fears are intensifying

NPR  

Here's why bird flu fears are intensifying toggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP Scientists believe it was roughly a year ago that an influenza virus sickening and killing birds happened upon a new and surprisingly hospitable host in the Texas Panhandle — dairy cattle. Without a new strategy and closer work with the industry, there's little indication that will change, given all …

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain
1 month, 1 week ago

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain

NPR  

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain The spread of bird flu continues to trouble scientists. His experiments with infected cattle indicated bird flu was primarily spreading through virus-laden milk, not as you'd expect from a typical respiratory virus. STONE: The intervening months have made it painfully clear bird flu has a strong foothold in …

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID
1 month, 1 week ago

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID

Salon  

As America gears up for the year's end and a change in administration, the topic of public health has dominated many conversations throughout the election season, but one facet has been noticeably absent: bird flu. “It would be important for the Trump administration, as it's rolling out its team that's going to be heading CDC, HHS, USDA, that they talk …

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’
1 month, 1 week ago

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’

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 Scientists are warning about the continued transmission of dangerous H5N1 bird …

Three mysterious bird flu cases worry experts that another pandemic is looming
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Three mysterious bird flu cases worry experts that another pandemic is looming

Salon  

This month, two independent cases of bird flu were detected in North American children without any known exposure to infected animals, raising concerns that the H5N1 virus that causes it is inching closer to evolving in a way that allows it to spread between humans. Again, if the H5N1 virus develops the ability to efficiently spread between humans, the world …

California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child
1 month, 2 weeks ago

California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Health officials on Friday confirmed …

California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child
1 month, 2 weeks ago

California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child

Associated Press  

Health officials on Friday confirmed bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California, the CDC said. California health officials previously said in a statement that they were looking into a “possible exposure to wild …

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance
1 month, 2 weeks 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 …

First case of bird flu detected in child as blood tests reveal virus is more widespread than reported
1 month, 2 weeks ago

First case of bird flu detected in child as blood tests reveal virus is more widespread than reported

Daily Mail  

A child in California has tested positive for bird flu, local health officials say — the first pediatric case — amid growing fears the disease could spread between humans. But the case underscores the possibility bird flu could spread among people, after it caused an outbreak among cows in 2022 that sickened more than 500 herds and then jumped to …

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?

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 As the number of human bird flu cases have continued to …

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports
1 month, 2 weeks 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 …

In US first, child tests positive for bird flu
1 month, 3 weeks ago

In US first, child tests positive for bird flu

CNN  

CNN — A child in California is recovering at home from a confirmed case of bird flu. The child, who lives in Alameda County, had mild upper respiratory symptoms and was treated with flu antiviral medications, according to the California Department of Public Health and the CDC. The child initially tested positive with low levels of virus, the health department …

First case of bird flu strain reported in the UK: Protection zone set up around commercial poultry firm in attempt to contain outbreak
1 month, 3 weeks ago

First case of bird flu strain reported in the UK: Protection zone set up around commercial poultry firm in attempt to contain outbreak

Daily Mail  

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed at a commercial poultry farm in Cornwall. The government said all poultry on the infected site, near Rosudgeon near St Ives, will be humanely culled, after a strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected. Bird flu or avian influenza, which has killed hundreds of millions of birds around the globe in …

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu
1 month, 3 weeks 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 …

Canada's first human H5 bird flu case detected in British Columbia, doctors call it a ‘rare event’
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Canada's first human H5 bird flu case detected in British Columbia, doctors call it a ‘rare event’

Hindustan Times  

Canada has detected its first-ever presumptive human H5 bird flu case. British Columbia reported the case on Saturday after a teenager tested positive for avian influenza caused by the H5 influenza virus, according to an official statement published on the official website of the western province. Image used for representational purposes only First presumptive human H5 bird flu case detected …

‘Rare event’: Canada records its first human bird flu case
Trending News
1 month, 4 weeks ago

‘Rare event’: Canada records its first human bird flu case

Al Jazeera  

A teenager from British Columbia tested positive for the H5 avian flu, and health authorities are investigating. Canada has confirmed its first human case of bird flu after a teenager tested positive for the virus, according to health authorities. 1/ The Office of the Provincial Health Officer in British Columbia has reported a presumed human case of H5 avian influenza …

Canada detects first presumptive human bird flu case, teen infected
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Canada detects first presumptive human bird flu case, teen infected

India Today  

Canada has detected its first presumptive case of H5 bird flu in a person, a teenager in the western province of British Columbia, health officials said on Saturday. H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and US dairy cows, with several recent human cases in US dairy and poultry workers. Bird flu …

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans
2 months ago

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans

Daily Mail  

The H5N1 bird flu virus spreading among cows is infecting more farm workers than experts realized. The CDC tested 115 workers at farms suffering outbreaks and found eight of them tested positive for the virus - an infection rate of seven percent. The US Department of Agriculture has said it will begin testing bulk milk for bird flu, signaling concern …

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections
2 months ago

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections

Associated Press  

Federal health officials on Thursday called for more testing of employees on farms with bird flu after a new study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick. Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered treatment even if they show no symptoms, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal …

Should We Be Worried About Bird Flu?
2 months ago

Should We Be Worried About Bird Flu?

Huff Post  

ULISES RUIZ via Getty Images The H5N1 virus, aka the bird flu, spilled over to commercial poultry before sickening cattle earlier this year. The increase in avian influenza activity is due to a major outbreak occurring in wild birds that has been ongoing and has spilled into poultry farms and now dairy cattle,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert …

Bird flu detected in pigs for first time as confirmed human cases double in two weeks
2 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu detected in pigs for first time as confirmed human cases double in two weeks

Salon  

A pig was infected with bird flu in Oregon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday. It’s the first time bird flu, also known as the H5N1 virus, infected a pig in the United States — a troubling development, as this gives the pathogen another mammalian reservoir that could raise the risk of a pandemic. Meanwhile, six bird flu cases …

1st US case of bird flu in a pig raises concerns over potential human threat
2 months, 1 week ago

1st US case of bird flu in a pig raises concerns over potential human threat

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It's the first time the …

First US Case of Bird Flu in a Pig Raises Concerns Over Potential Human Threat
2 months, 1 week ago

First US Case of Bird Flu in a Pig Raises Concerns Over Potential Human Threat

Associated Press  

A pig at an Oregon farm has been found to have bird flu, marking the first instance of the virus in the United States. The infection poses a potential threat to human health due to its ability to spread to humans. Genetic tests have shown no mutations that suggest the virus is gaining an increased ability to spread to people. …

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S.
2 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S.

NPR  

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S. toggle caption Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC/AP NEW YORK — A pig at an Oregon farm was found to have bird flu, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. It's the first time the virus has been detected in U.S. swine and raises concerns about bird …

No Evidence of Bird Flu Spreading Between People in Missouri
2 months, 2 weeks ago

No Evidence of Bird Flu Spreading Between People in Missouri

Associated Press  

No evidence of bird flu spreading between people has been found in Missouri after an investigation into a mysterious infection. The illness was different from the 30 other bird flu infections in people in the U.S. so far this year, and there was no known contact with an infected animal. The patient had preexisting health problems and was hospitalized in …

Bird flu spreads across US with dozens of cases now found in 6 states
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu spreads across US with dozens of cases now found in 6 states

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 Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Michigan officials announced the state’s first outbreak since early …

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