H5N1: The Next Pandemic?

The Atheist said:
I see a lot of people have contracted H5N1 recently in USA, thanks to the dairy-cow outbreak reaching poultry farms.

The interesting factor is we're not seeing the deaths that were associated with H5N1 in Asia, with cases being classified as mild: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-...ird-flu-outbreak-scientists-see-growing-risks

Maybe it's most like the Mexican 'flu that spread fast but wasn't very harmful?
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Of the 11 people in the USA that have gotten H5N1, none were human->human. That's encouraging. Also curious is that so many have conjunctivitis.

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situat...tates to monitor people with animal exposures.
 
alfaniner said:
(going for the easy joke)
Great... Flying bears, that's all we need.

Fortunately now most countries have a template in place for dealing with a pandemic. Whether people will adhere to any new edicts is another story.
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Oh that's all we need! Bad enough that, in the US, the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to arm bears. Now, not only will they be armed, they will be able to fly.
 
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This is the sort of speciesist statement I have come to expect.
The Atheist said:
Investigation for potential cases of human -> human H5N1 transmission, with a handful of cases in Missouri suspected of being infected by a patient.

Testing to come, but all mild cases.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-potential-human-bird-flu-transmission.html
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It may be mild for hominids but mortality is high (>50%) in cats.


An animal sanctuary in Shelton, Wash., is under quarantine after a bird flu outbreak killed 20 big cats at the facility over the past month.

The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington called the deaths "heartbreaking," confirming the virus has claimed more than half its animals, including four cougars and a half-Bengal tiger, since late November.
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We (UK NHS) have just been circulated an alert to watch out for Americans arriving in the country with fevers, on the basis of the recent death of an American from H5N1. I wonder if there is more going on we don't know about since CDC silenced?
 
Planigale said:
We (UK NHS) have just been circulated an alert to watch out for Americans arriving in the country with fevers, on the basis of the recent death of an American from H5N1. I wonder if there is more going on we don't know about since CDC silenced?
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Be safe! Stop all Americans arriving at your borders! Build many walls now!
 
Planigale said:
We (UK NHS) have just been circulated an alert to watch out for Americans arriving in the country with fevers, on the basis of the recent death of an American from H5N1. I wonder if there is more going on we don't know about since CDC silenced?
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No. As an on the ground here observer, no. I am surprised you don't have your own outbreaks among cattle and poultry. Outbreaks among animals is what the NHS should be warning you to watch for.
 
Skeptic Ginger said:
No. As an on the ground here observer, no. I am surprised you don't have your own outbreaks among cattle and poultry. Outbreaks among animals is what the NHS should be warning you to watch for.
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Yes, we have had instructions about what to do if someone has been exposed to a known or suspected case of bird flu (including HPAI). Workers are routinely observed following exposure (temperature and symptom charts). Birds are ordered to be kept inside at the first sign of trouble.

I have been out in the garden shepherding all the tits and finches into the shed to keep them safe, but to be honest it is a bit like herding cats, you get one in the shed and then when you open the door to put the next one in the first flies out. The robin is no trouble since he will take food from my hand, but he is very possesive and doesn't like me paying attention to anyone else.
 
Skeptic Ginger said:
I'm not sure I understand your comment. :unsure: Is it sarcasm?
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No, just making the point that it may be mild in humans, but it is bad news if you are a bird or a cat. So calling it mild is just looking at it from your PoV not that of memebers of other species.
 
dann said:
I don't know about the UK, but this is how outbreaks of bird flu are tackled in Denmark:
Aktuelle
restriktionszoner(use Google translate)
(aktuelle = current)
I'm surprised that they don't encourage people working with poultry to use face masks/respirators.

Also:
Der er ikke rapporteret om smitte med fugleinfluenza til mennesker i Danmark.
No reports of people in Denmark infected with avian flu.
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Well that's all well and good but what on Earth could "restriktionszoner" mean? ;)
 
I thought the Danish word would be fairly easy to understand for speakers of English: restrictions + zones.
What it entails is explained in the link:
Ved udbrud af højpatogen fugleinfluenza hos fjerkræ og fugle i fangenskab opretter Fødevarestyrelsen beskyttelses- og overvågningszoner. Der gælder særlige begrænsninger i zonerne.
Ved udbrud af højpatogen fugleinfluenza i fjerkræ eller fugle i fangenskab opretter Fødevarestyrelsen to zoner om udbrudsstedet. Der vil træde en bekendtgørelse om det aktuelle udbrud i kraft, som publiceres på retsinformation.
Aktuelle bekendtgørelse: Bekendtgørelse om fund af højpatogen aviær influenza ved Vester Ulslev i Guldborgsund Kommune (retsinformation.dk)
  • Beskyttelseszone med en radius på mindst 3 km fra den smittede besætning.
  • Overvågningszone med en radius på mindst 10 km fra den smittede besætning.
I zonerne gælder særlige begrænsninger for ejere af besætninger med fjerkræ eller fugle i fangenskab.
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Google translate:
In the event of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and captive birds, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration establishes protection and surveillance zones. Special restrictions apply in the zones.
In the event of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry or captive birds, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration establishes two zones around the outbreak site. An executive order regarding the current outbreak will come into force and will be published on retsinformation.
Current executive order: Executive order regarding the discovery of highly pathogenic avian influenza at Vester Ulslev in Guldborgsund Municipality (retsinformation.dk)
Protection zone with a radius of at least 3 km from the infected herd.
Surveillance zone with a radius of at least 10 km from the infected herd.
Special restrictions apply in the zones for owners of herds with poultry or captive birds.
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Since Denmark is still to some extent an agricultural country, depending on the exports of meat etc., rules about husbandry tend to be fairly strict in order to secure that other countries know that they won't import diseases when they import agricultural products from Denmark. You may remember how Denmark tackled the outbreak of COVID-19 at mink farms - and it's not as if mink coats spread many diseases ...
An important thing in this context: Farmers are usually compensated by the state when they are ordered to put down all their farm animals, which makes them less prone to try to circumvent the regulations.
 
Planigale said:
No, just making the point that it may be mild in humans, but it is bad news if you are a bird or a cat. So calling it mild is just looking at it from your PoV not that of memebers of other species.
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H5N1 definitely is not mild in humans! It just isn't as infectious as e.g. C19 ... yet!
Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (WHO, Jan 31, 2025)
Globally, from 1 January 2003 to 12 December 2024, 954 cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus were reported from 24 countries. Of these 954 cases, 464 were fatal (CFR of 49%).
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