America is 'fundamentally unprepared' for zoonotic diseases
1 year, 10 months ago

America is 'fundamentally unprepared' for zoonotic diseases

Daily Mail  

With the US teetering on the brink of nuclear war with Russia and gloomy warnings about climate change, many believe these events could end the human race. In an editorial published today, they claimed America is 'fundamentally unprepared', despite the Covid pandemic being so fresh in people's minds, as well as the recent bird flu and Marburg virus outbreak scares. Scientists warn that there is a risk of viruses jumping from livestock to humans throughout the supply chain - from the rearing facilities to where they are consumed The above map shows bird flu cases detected in poultry facilities and in wild birds in 2022 and 2023. They warn there is a higher risk with live imported animals because these come into the US with no health and safety checks on arrival, meaning they could bring new diseases into the country. There was a spike in cases in 2012, which has been linked to pigs catching bird flu and then passing it to humans The above map shows the states where bird flu cases were detected in people in the US in 2022 The scientists said that the current regulatory structure is not able to close these gaps and reduce the risk.

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History of this topic

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning
55 years ago

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning

Wired  

Yesterday, health officials in Louisiana announced that a patient who was hospitalized with severe bird flu in December has died. A total of 66 people in the US tested positive for bird flu in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The more virus there is in our environment, the more chances there are for it to …

US records its first human death from bird flu
Trending News
2 days, 8 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, 11 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, 17 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 …

America’s first bird flu death reported in Louisiana
3 days, 11 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 …

First U.S. death from bird flu reported in Louisiana
3 days, 11 hours ago

First U.S. death from bird flu reported in Louisiana

Salon  

On Monday, the Louisiana Department of Health reported that a patient with a severe case of bird flu, caused by the H5N1 virus, had died from their infection, a first for the United States. Even before the patient died, their case made headlines for several reasons: bird flu is raging across North America, swamping dairy and poultry farms and causing …

Which infectious disease is likely to be biggest emerging problem in 2025?
1 week, 4 days ago

Which infectious disease is likely to be biggest emerging problem in 2025?

The Hindu  

COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Indeed, bird flu can infect humans with 61 cases in the U.S. 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 quickly jumping up …

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, …

'We are screwed': Virologists warn about disease they say could become the next pandemic
1 week, 5 days ago

'We are screwed': Virologists warn about disease they say could become the next pandemic

Raw Story  

A new report from PBS highlights the potential danger of bird flu turning into a full-blown pandemic in the United States. In particular, PBS spoke with several experts who said the United States has been behind the ball when it comes to keeping a handle on the pandemic and they point to the fact that the United States Department of …

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 …

Letters to the Editor: L.A. Times’ coverage of the bird flu is a great public service
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Letters to the Editor: L.A. Times’ coverage of the bird flu is a great public service

LA Times  

To the editor: Thanks to The Times’ editorial staff for publishing Dr. Peter Chin-Hong’s Dec. 20 opinion piece, “Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster.” Thanks also to The Times for its excellent coverage of the spread of H5N1 across our state and nation. As a physician who cared for patients, families and …

Why scientists say we are fighting H5N1 bird flu with one hand tied behind our backs
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Why scientists say we are fighting H5N1 bird flu with one hand tied behind our backs

LA Times  

As the H5N1 bird flu virus steamrolls its way across the globe — killing wild animals, commercial livestock and even some people — scientists and health officials fear we’re on the precipice of another global pandemic. “YES.” Felicia Goodrum, a molecular virologist at the University of Arizona, said gain-of-function research could enable health officials to recognize worrisome H5N1 mutations and …

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 …

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, 1 day 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 …

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 …

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so
1 month ago

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so

Firstpost  

Chinese scientists have said that a strain of a bird flu from 2021 has the potential to lead to a new pandemic Chinese researchers have said that the world could be close to having another pandemic in the near future. Even as the memories of the Covid-19 pandemic are afresh in many people’s mind, which emerged in China’s Wuhan, Chinese …

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster
1 month ago

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms are sparking fears of a major threat to human health. To the editor: As a retired public health and emergency medicine physician, I want to thank you for your recent articles about the bird flu, most recently those articles by Times reporters Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez. The combination of a mutating and potentially …

Trump's failure and the next pandemic
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump's failure and the next pandemic

Raw Story  

“The political folks believed that because was going to be relegated to Democratic states, that they could blame those governors, and that would be an effective political strategy.” —Vanity Fair’s Katherine Eban quoting Jared Kushner’s team in March, 2020. And it appears that the virus that has her at death’s door is a recent mutation: “But researchers have homed in …

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 …

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 …

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 …

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon
1 month, 3 weeks ago

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon

LA Times  

As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday that six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first. California’s state epidemiologist, Erica Pan, said that while the announcement of five cases today may sound like a sudden explosion or acceleration in cases, it was …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

Biodiversity Summit: Lessons from Covid Offer a Warning for the Future
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Biodiversity Summit: Lessons from Covid Offer a Warning for the Future

The Hindu  

Experts and activists at the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, urge world leaders to learn the lessons from the estimated seven million lives lost to Covid and thousands more due to Ebola. They propose a biodiversity and health action plan that includes commitments to limit harmful agriculture and forestry, reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals damaging …

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 …

California becomes epicenter of bird flu crisis as more human cases reported
2 months, 3 weeks ago

California becomes epicenter of bird flu crisis as more human cases reported

Salon  

Another five suspected cases of bird flu were reported today in California, where six cases have already been confirmed, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state, which is the country’s largest dairy supplier, has become the epicenter of bird flu in cows and has concerned public health experts since the beginning of the outbreak for this reason. …

As California bird flu outbreak worsens, a Missouri patient who caught it is alarming experts
2 months, 4 weeks 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 …

Australia and New Zealand Brace for Bird Flu Threat: A Global Threat
3 months ago

Australia and New Zealand Brace for Bird Flu Threat: A Global Threat

The Hindu  

Australia and New Zealand brace for a looming bird flu threat. The region, currently free of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza, is at risk of its arrival due to its geographic isolation and the migration patterns of birds. The virus has reached Indonesia and Antarctica in recent years, posing a potential threat to the region's ecosystems and agricultural industry. …

Australia's bird flu outbreak has claimed the lives of 2 million chickens, but experts fear the worst is yet to come
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia's bird flu outbreak has claimed the lives of 2 million chickens, but experts fear the worst is yet to come

ABC  

In the small country town of Meredith, about 70 kilometres west of Melbourne, a lone dead tree stands in the centre of a paddock, looming over two long red furrows clawed into the ground. He's just spent most of this year trying to lead Victoria's response to avian influenza outbreaks, and says the state is "finally on the home stretch". …

Just How Deadly Is Bird Flu to Humans?
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Just How Deadly Is Bird Flu to Humans?

Slate  

This story was originally published by Undark and has been republished here with permission. Compared to the H1 and H3 proteins in the influenza A viruses responsible for seasonal flu, H5 proteins trigger a weaker response from the immune system, said Peiris: “People may be getting mildly infected, but it’s not enough to elicit an antibody response.” Peiris and other …

Alarming development as Missouri patient becomes first American to catch H5N1 bird flu with no exposure to animals
4 months ago

Alarming development as Missouri patient becomes first American to catch H5N1 bird flu with no exposure to animals

Daily Mail  

A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals, in a potentially worrying development. A person in Missouri has become the first American to be diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without coming into contact with animals There have also been 196 herds of dairy cows infected with …

California becomes 14th state to detect bird flu in dairy cows
4 months ago

California becomes 14th state to detect bird flu in dairy cows

Salon  

On Monday, California became the 14th state to report outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows. Some have wondered how the Golden State avoided an outbreak thus far in the bird flu crisis, after nearly 200 outbreaks have been reported from Colorado to Texas to Michigan. In late August, cows at three dairy farms in the Central Valley displayed symptoms …

Bird flu outbreak worries Australia
5 months, 1 week 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 …

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing
55 years 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
5 months, 2 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 …

Australia hit by bird flu outbreak of highly pathogenic strain
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Australia hit by bird flu outbreak of highly pathogenic strain

China Daily  

FILE PHOTO: A person holds a test tube labelled "Bird Flu", in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. "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 Jeffrey …

Two more bird flu cases reported in Colorado, but elsewhere a study finds no asymptomatic infections
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Two more bird flu cases reported in Colorado, but elsewhere a study finds no asymptomatic infections

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — U.S. health officials on Friday announced two more bird flu cases among farmworkers, but they also said a new study in Michigan suggested the virus is not causing silent infections in people. Last month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched a study of workers who were around cows sickened by the bird flu. It’s …

Two more bird flu cases reported in Colorado, but elsewhere a study finds no asymptomatic infections
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Two more bird flu cases reported in Colorado, but elsewhere a study finds no asymptomatic infections

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 U.S. health officials on Friday …

Australia not investing enough to prepare for catastrophic affects of H5N1 variant of bird flu, experts warn
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Australia not investing enough to prepare for catastrophic affects of H5N1 variant of bird flu, experts warn

ABC  

Australia is not investing enough money to prepare for an outbreak of the strain of bird flu that is causing environmental and agricultural 'catastrophes' overseas, according to virologists, farmers and environmental lobby groups. "If avian influenza gets into Australia it's not just devastating for poultry, but it will be devastating for our native bird populations," Dr Short said. Mr Gough …

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