Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in farmed minks, Spain, October 2022
(Eurosurveillance) This report describes an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) detected in intensively farmed minks in Europe, which occurred in the Galicia region in northwest Spain in October 2022. We present an in-depth description of the epidemiological, clinical and genetic investigations of this outbreak affecting a single farm and discuss public health […]
Feb 8, 2023
Will mink-to-mink H5N1 flu on a farm in Spain spread ferret-to-ferret in a lab?
(ISDA) Last week, Aguero et al. reported in the journal Eurosurveillance that in October 2022, H5N1 avian influenza (clade 2.3.4.4b) caused mink-to-mink infections and some deaths (peak of 4.3%) on a farm with more than 51,000 mink in Galicia in northwest Spain. Although H5N1 “avian flu” has infected limited numbers of mammalian species, this is the first reported outbreak […]
Feb 8, 2023
(PLoS Pathogens) Global spread and regional endemicity of H5Nx Goose/Guangdong avian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a continuous threat for poultry production and zoonotic, potentially pre-pandemic, transmission to humans. Little is known about the role of mutations in the viral neuraminidase (NA) that accompanied bird-to-human transmission to support AIV infection of mammals. Here, after detailed analysis […]
Feb 8, 2023
Can humans and pets catch bird flu? What to know about the outbreak.
(Washington Post) An outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain is decimating wild and farmed bird populations globally, fueling a debate about the most effective ways to end it and the potential risk to humans. Some experts are concerned about the possibility that the H5N1 virus could one day evolve to more easily spread […]
Feb 8, 2023
Tracking the bird flu, experts see a familiar threat — and a virus whose course is hard to predict
(STAT) Veteran influenza epidemiologist Keiji Fukuda remembers vividly when he first became fearful that a virulent bird flu virus, H5N1, might be on the verge of triggering a devastating pandemic. The virus, seemingly out of nowhere, did something bird flu viruses were thought not to be able to do. It infected 18 people, killing six […]
Feb 8, 2023
Bird Flu Outbreak Puts Mink Farms Back in the Spotlight
(New York Times) A new variant of avian influenza appears capable of spreading among mammals, highlighting the need for more proactive surveillance, experts said. Early last October, the mink on a fur farm in Spain suddenly began to fall ill. They stopped eating and began salivating excessively. They became clumsy, started to experience tremors and […]
Feb 8, 2023
Bird Flu Outbreak Is a Wake-Up Call for Agriculture
(Bloomberg) The H1N5 virus has been rampaging through poultry farms and a Spanish mink facility. Perhaps we can blame Covid fatigue for numbing us to the risks of other viruses. But it should be bigger news that a bird flu has mutated to spread through mammals and is ominously appearing among wild and domesticated animals around the […]
Feb 8, 2023
The WHO fungal priority pathogens list as a game-changer
(Nature) Invasive fungal diseases are on the increase globally. The World Health Organization fungal priority pathogens list highlights fungi of critical or high importance to human health and provides pathways for action. The report calls for improved surveillance (diagnostics and antifungal resistance monitoring), research and innovation (implementation research) and public-health interventions. In late 2022, the […]
Feb 7, 2023
First molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in cockroaches
Biologia Coronavirus is one of the main pathogens that primarily targets the human respiratory system. There are several ways to transmit this virus, such as direct contact or droplets spread by coughing or sneezing, and direct contact with fomites and surfaces is another way. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shiraz, southern Iran, in 2021. […]
Feb 7, 2023
Bird flu is spreading among mammals. How worried should we be?
(Sydney Morning Herald) In Spain, bird flu appears to have spread from mink to mink for the first time. This is a troubling situation that warrants close attention. “These are exactly the kind of situations we’re really worried about,” Associate Professor Paul Horwood tells me. Dr Michelle Wille says she and “many of my colleagues […]
Feb 7, 2023